A new report is adding to the controversy over trucker Yellow’s pandemic relief. A Democrat-led House panel on the coronavirus said Trump administration political appointees overrode Defense Department staff recommendations, the WSJ Logistics Report’s Lydia O’Neal writes, when they funneled a $700 million loan to the less-than-truckload carrier because of its business as a Pentagon transportation contractor. The panel’s chairman wants the Treasury Department to investigate whether the Cares Act aid came as a result of false claims. Questions over the loan turn on whether the company’s military business made it crucial to national security. The report cites comments from career Pentagon staffers who doubted that designation because other carriers were available to step in for Yellow. The company has cleaned up its troubled finances since 2020 and used the federal backing to invest in new equipment. It says its eligibility was “appropriate in every respect.”

The supply chains of edible oils crucial to the food business are taking another big blow, this time far from Ukraine. Indonesia, which provides 60% of the world’s palm oil, is barring exports of the ingredient found in candy bars, ice cream and cooking oil, the WSJ’s Jon Emont reports, the biggest move yet by countries looking to secure supplies amid soaring food prices. Indonesia’s president hopes that keeping more palm oil at home will boost domestic supplies as Indonesians reel from sharp increases in cooking-oil prices. The shortfall is in part because of a steep reduction in sunflower oil trade by Ukraine, pressing buyers to seek alternatives in a drive that is boosting prices for a range of edible oils. Indonesia’s ban will likely be short-lived. But it echoes moves by many countries to withhold exports to shore up domestic stocks, triggering global shortages and driving up food prices. 

Here are recent developments following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:

Russia says it is halting gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. (WSJ)

The European Union is looking to suspend for one year import duties on all Ukrainian sales. (WSJ)

Russia projects that its oil production this year could decline by as much as 17% because of Western sanctions. (WSJ)

French energy giant TotalEnergies took a $4.1 billion charge on its natural-gas reserves, citing impacts from the Western sanctions targeting Russia. (WSJ)

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says semiconductor shortages are constraining the ability of U.S. defense contractors to supply weapons to Ukraine. (WSJ)

Renault is in talks to sell its stake in Russia’s biggest auto maker to a state-backed entity for one ruble. (WSJ)

German chemical supplier BASF plans to wind down its remaining business in Russia and Belarus by the start of July. (WSJ)

China’s SZ DJI Technology, the world’s largest maker of consumer drones, is suspending business in Ukraine and Russia. (WSJ)

For the latest updates from Russia and Ukraine, click here

The world’s agricultural trading giants are reaping big gains from disruptions in global commodities supply chains. Events ranging from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to bad weather afflicting other big crop-producing countries are fueling a supply crunch, the WSJ’s Patrick Thomas reports, even as consumers’ food demand remains strong in the face of rising prices. That’s boosting companies like Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge and Cargill that help direct the flow of corn, soybeans, wheat and other food commodities. Bunge’s agribusiness unit reported a nearly 15% rise in sales despite falling volume, and Bunge and ADM both saw profits jump last quarter. ADM says it expects the tight supply of crops to continue for the next few years because of drought conditions in South America, a weak Canadian canola crop and the war in Ukraine, suggesting the biggest challenge will be keeping goods flowing to anxious markets.

Boeing lost $1.24 billion in the first quarter as supply-chain issues and Russia sanctions weighed on results. (WSJ)

Ford to a net loss of $3.1 billion in the first quarter, largely driven by a steep loss in valuation of its stake in electric-vehicle startup Rivian. (WSJ)

Quarterly profit at luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz fell nearly a fifth on rising materials costs and supply-chain disruptions. (WSJ)

Kraft-Heinz is continuing to raise prices to offset rising supply-chain costs in ingredients, packaging and trucking. (WSJ)

Saudi Arabia will purchase up to 100,000 electric vehicles from Lucid Group, which is backed by the kingdom’s sovereign-wealth fund. (WSJ)

Harley-Davidson says the semiconductor shortage is hampering its ability to meet motorcycle demand. (WSJ)

Drewry Shipping Consultants projects container lines collectively will earn $300 billion in profits this year. (Port Technology)

Sembcorp Marine agreed to merge with Keppel Offshore & Marine in a deal that will create the world’s biggest builder of oil rigs. (Bloomberg)

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will test the use of 100 electric trucks in container operations this year. (Los Angeles Daily News)

U.S. rail customers are pressing federal regulators to intervene over what they say is deteriorating service. (Supply Chain Dive) 

First-quarter profit at trucker Old Dominion Freight Line jumped more than 50% to $299.8 million as less-than-truckload shipments increased 15%. (Dow Jones Newswires)

First-quarter net profit at freight broker C.H. Robinson Worldwide jumped 56% to $270.3 million​. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Ryder System’s first-quarter profit more than tripled to $175.6 million as revenue grew 28%. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Freight forwarder Hapag-Lloyd will spend $250 million to install tracking capability in nearly all its 1.6 million shipping containers. (The Loadstar)

Freight forwarder DSV boosted its outlook after first-quarter profit doubled. (ShippingWatch)

U.S. regulators want Amazon to improve its procedures for dealing with severe weather that could threaten workers at its warehouses. (Industrial Distribution)

Logistics automation company Fabric opened a micro-fulfillment center in Dallas. (Modern Materials Handling)

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

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