A line of hundreds of trucks on both sides of the road near Ukraine’s Odesa port is stark evidence that a crucial channel supplying grain to the world is open again. Several weeks of attacks by Ukrainian naval drones have sunk a series of Russian warships, the WSJ's James Marson and Oksana Pyrozhok report, putting swaths of the Black Sea all but off limits to the Russian Navy and allowing Ukraine to ramp up grain exports to close to prewar levels. Grain exports more than doubled to more than 5 million metric tons in December compared with around 2 million tons in September. That’s a boost for global grain markets that have been rattled since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one of the world’s top five grain exporters. Ukraine has also worked with international insurers to help grain ships find affordable coverage. The program was expanded this month to all nonmilitary cargo, including steel and iron ore.  

Home Depot is pushing more investments to its supply chain targeting construction and remodeling professionals. The company is adding four distribution centers this year to its network of 14 warehouses focused on handling and delivering the bulky construction materials that are particularly in demand among contractors. The WSJ Logistics Report’s Liz Young writes the so-called flatbed facilities mark a bet on the high margins that come from the professional sales that provide the home-improvement retailer nearly half its annual revenue. The sites, with their specialized material handling equipment and locations near rail lines, are one sign of how retail supply chains are growing more complicated as merchants target particular markets. The rise in online ordering, for instance, is pushing greater investment in fulfillment for small shipments and residential delivery. Home Depot also sees value in the other direction, in big items heading straight to project sites.

• Apparel retailer Gap cut its commodity costs, reset sourcing strategies and reduced airfreight spending to improve margins last quarter. (Supply Chain Dive)

India is bending some of its famously rigid trade restrictions in its bid for more industrial production. The government plans to drastically cut import duties on certain electric vehicles for manufacturers who invest at least $500 million to produce their cars there. The WSJ’s Rajesh Roy reports the change in policy is aimed at Tesla, which is seeking to import its premium cars into the world’s third-largest automotive market while setting up a factory. The move is the latest example of how governments are using tariffs and other trade tools to get a share of new supply chains that are being established for electric vehicles. India more broadly wants to draw global investment from high-tech firms to boost efforts to become a technology manufacturing hub. Right now, India taxes imported electric vehicles at up to 100% depending on their price.

A measure of U.S. consumer sentiment slipped slightly this month from a 32-month high. (MarketWatch)

The cost of imported goods rose in February for the second month in a row. (MarketWatch)

Cocoa prices have climbed past a record set nearly a half-century ago. (WSJ)

China will add more semiconductor capacity than the rest of the world combined in 2024. (WSJ)

European food-delivery firm Deliveroo raised its outlook for the year. (WSJ)

India’s navy recaptured a bulk ship from Somali pirates and rescued 17 seafarers. (The Guardian)

Dubai has become a hub for shippers seeking combined sea-air transport to avoid longer ocean voyages around Africa. (Journal of Commerce)

The lead time for new vessels at shipyards has stretched to four years. (Lloyd’s List)

Bangladesh is ending a yearslong hiatus on oil and gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal. (Nikkei Asia)

Quarterly profit at Chinese electric-vehicle battery giant CATL fell for the first time in almost two years. (Financial Times)

China-based online retailer JD.com is dropping an offer for British electricals group Currys and its store and warehouse network. (Reuters)

Mercedes-Benz will test the use of humanoid robots in its automotive assembly plants. (DC Velocity)

A shipment of thousands of bobbleheads of former hockey player Jaromir Jagr was stolen en route to a fan giveaway in Pittsburgh. (The Hill)

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.