A labor standoff in the automotive industry is set to run a bedrock sector of the American manufacturing economy off the road. The United Auto Workers union plans to hold targeted strikes at certain auto factories if it can’t reach new contract agreements with Detroit automakers by late today. The WSJ’s Ryan Felton and Nora Eckert report the unusual strategy calls for a series of work stoppages, with actions escalating the longer the union goes without new labor deals. Any walkouts would broadly disrupt assembly-line production and have a cascading impact on the industrial economy, including parts suppliers and freight operators that move components and finished cars. Historically, targeted strikes have focused on engine and transmission plants, which make parts for a number of assembly factories. The automakers have built up inventory ahead of a potential strike, providing some cushion to keep selling cars during a work stoppage.

• Here are the key things you need to know about the contract talks between the UAW and Detroit automakers as the deadline for a deal looms. (WSJ)
• The European Union is launching an antisubsidy investigation into China’s electric-vehicle makers. (WSJ)

Shipping restrictions at the Panama Canal aren’t going away anytime soon. Canal authorities say the drought conditions that hobbled operations and triggered big vessel backups are likely to persist through 2024, extending concerns at a crucial crossroads for global trade. The WSJ’s José de Córdoba reports the canal will continue to limit the number of ships that can pass through daily to 32 from 36 in an effort to conserve water. Those daily limits have contributed to a backup of 116 vessels waiting to cross, well above normal but below the more than 200 ships that were stuck last month. Some shipowners have been rerouting traffic to avoid having vessels held up. The impact has hit bulk carriers the hardest. But limitations may affect containerships and shippers will likely have to account for the potential for new disruption as they manage their international supply chains.

• An alliance of major freight buyers is launching a tender to move 600,000 containers on ships powered by zero-emissions fuels. (TradeWinds)
• Russia’s Sovcomflot transferred 18 tankers to a new Dubai-based company that is not under sanctions. (Lloyd’s List)
• Navios Maritime Holdings CEO Angeliki Frangou is undertaking a management buyout bid for the U.S.-listed shipping company. (TradeWinds)
• Bankrupt retailer Bed Bath & Beyond told regulators that container line Yang Ming “deliberately” failed to ship 85% of its cargo called for in a contract agreement. (Journal of Commerce)

U.S. consumer prices rose 0.6% in August and were up 0.3% with volatile energy and food prices stripped out. (WSJ)

The International Energy Agency says Saudi Arabia’s decision to extend cuts to crude output will likely lead to a significant supply shortfall this year. (WSJ)

Trucker Estes Express Lines raised the stakes for bankrupt Yellow's extensive real estate portfolio with a new $1.525 billion bid. (WSJ)

American Airlines slashed its quarterly profit outlook on rising labor and fuel costs. (WSJ)

A World Trade Organization report says fragmentation of the global economy into separate trading blocs would be “extremely costly.” (Bloomberg)

South Korea’s imports of raw materials are growing, increasing supply-chain vulnerabilities in key industries. (Korea Economic Daily)

J.B. Hunt Transport Services President Shelley Simpson says the U.S. appears to be “coming out of a freight recession.” (Dow Jones Newswires)

Dutch marine logistics provider Global Transport Solutions acquired maritime parts specialist Ship Spare Logistics. (Seatrade Maritime)

Cold-storage warehouse operator Lineage Logistics is bringing in advisers as it prepares for a potential initial public stock offering. (Crain's)

Lidl opened a 1.2 million-square-foot U.K. distribution center that is the largest in the discount supermarket chain’s system. (Logistics Manager)

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at paul.page@wsj.com.

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @bylizyoung and @pdberger. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on X at @WSJLogistics.