New labor disruptions at U.S. West Coast ports are setting off alarms for importers and raising the stakes in longrunning contract talks. Terminals at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach fell offline to start the week, the WSJ Logistics Report’s Paul Berger writes, extending job actions that have delayed cargo flows at some of the country’s biggest gateways. Retailers and manufacturers are calling on the Biden administration to intercede, saying the disruptions threaten to create new bottlenecks just as operations gear up for the peak shipping season. Administration officials say they’re monitoring the talks, but it looks like the sides are deeply divided over wages. Port employers and the union have issued statements signaling rancor in the negotiations, but there are small signs of progress. The Port of Oakland, which had been effectively shut down a few days ago, was open again to start the week.

• Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen says container shipping demand has picked up in recent weeks. (TradeWinds)
• Ocean Network Express became the latest liner carrier to take delivery of a vessel with capacity exceeding 24,000 20-foot containers. (Maritime Executive)

Volkswagen is on a concerted worldwide search for supplies to make the carmaker’s electric-vehicle supply chain less dependent on China. The company created a subsidiary last year tasked with finding the raw materials that go into batteries, the WSJ’s William Boston reports, and ultimately wants to secure supplies for battery plants outside China. VW’s effort is part of a broader undertaking across the automotive industry as western companies try to build new supply chains. The efforts underline how multinational companies are adapting as the West strives to reduce its dependence on China, both as a market and as a supplier of critical components. That’s particularly pressing for carmakers because the battery accounts for a large portion of the value of an EV. China remains ahead of the game, however, after securing key sources of lithium, cobalt and nickel to support a homegrown industry for processing and refining the materials.

• Companies producing electric-vehicle batteries face a quandary with nickel since the process of mining and processing the mineral is particularly harmful to the environment. (WSJ)
• Automotive Cells Co. is opening a battery factory in northeastern France aimed at supplying electric vehicle production in Europe. (Automotive Logistics)

Inflation in supply-constrained egg markets has finally cracked. Retail egg prices are on track to return to historic averages in the coming months, the WSJ’s Jaewon Kang and Patrick Thomas report, after the deadliest avian influenza outbreak in U.S. history helped send prices soaring and fueled inflation at grocery stores. Eggs are among the many products at supermarkets that have been on a pricing roller-coaster over the past three years, as a range of forces triggered volatile shifts in supplies and production costs. Industry officials say egg supplies have bounced back as the spread of avian influenza has slowed and flocks of laying hens have been rebuilt. The outbreak cut U.S. egg inventories by 29% in the final week of December, compared with the beginning of 2022. Egg prices jumped more than 30% last year, outpacing all other grocery items.

• Commodity prices are in retreat, as traders bet on a slowdown in the world economy. (WSJ)

Orders for manufactured goods in the U.S. rose in April for the fourth time in five months. (MarketWatch)

Deputy U.S. Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg is expected to be named the next interim leader of the Federal Aviation Administration. (WSJ)

The Biden administration will hand out $570 million in grants to help eliminate hundreds of rail crossings across the U.S. (Associated Press)

Frontline owner John Fredriksen boosted his ownership stake in tanker rival Euronav to nearly 28.5%. (Lloyd’s List)

The International Air Transport Association more than doubled its annual profit outlook for airlines this year to $10 billion. (CNN)

Norfolk Southern struck a paid sick leave agreement​ with the last of its 12 labor unions. (Trains)

France-based Geodis acquired Swiss freight forwarder ITS. (Air Cargo News)

Digital trucking startup Next Trucking is trying to sell itself and enlisted BG Strategic Advisors in the effort. (The Information)

Penske Automotive bought a stable of commercial truck and bus dealerships in Canada. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Acquisition deal values in the U.K.’s logistics and supply chain sector fell sharply in the first quarter from last year. (Motor Transport)

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 Twitter at @WSJLogistics.