By Paul Page
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Apple Inc. is aiming to rejuvenate its signature smartphone with
a trio of new handsets while sellers and suppliers hope the
products revitalize the electronics supply chain. The company
unveiled its new iPhone X, the WSJ's Tripp Mickle reports, in a
highly anticipated rollout that Apple's backers hope will revive
iPhone sales in China and trigger upgrades across the U.S. and
Europe. Apple is trying to generate excitement with a phone packed
with new features and a $999 price tag while selling versions at
lower price points. Apple won't start shipping the iPhone X until
Nov. 3, however, later than its usual shipments and perhaps the
result of problems matching production to new technology. Despite
the hoopla, the impact on Apple's suppliers is problematic, the
WSJ's Jacky Wong reports, with many finding that investor interest
lags once a new phone rolls out. The phones are shipping into a
lackluster market: Research group Gartner says the global
smartphone market grew 6.7% in the second quarter, boosted mostly
by emerging markets, and that Apple's sales slipped 0.2%.
U.S. southeast ports are returning to normal operations as
recovery supply lines into Florida pick up speed and urgency. State
utilities are going block by block, city by city, in one of the
largest power restoration challenges in U.S. history, the WSJ's
Cameron McWhirter, Erin Ailworth and Arian Campo-Flores report, as
they bring back electricity to more than 15 million people
following Hurricane Irma. France launched a massive airlift to
bring supplies to St. Martin, the island that took a direct and
devastating hit in the storm. In the U.S., more than 50,000 utility
workers from the U.S. and Canada are descending on Florida and
other states hit by the storm, part of a long stream of trucks
joining returning residents on highways with loads of water,
generators, food and construction materials. The region's ports
started to reopen: Port Tampa Bay was expecting 10 crude tankers,
South Carolina's Port of Charleston resumed operations with no
reported damage and Georgia's Port of Savannah set today to handle
nine waiting cargo ships.
Washington is starting to move on self-driving vehicles. The
Department of Transportation issued updated guidelines on
regulating autonomous road technology, the WSJ's John D. McKinnon
reports, even as Congress steps closer to writing legislation on
self-driving trucks. The new federal guidelines follow a light
touch the automotive technology industry wants so that it can
develop and test new systems without having to meet cumbersome
federal safety rules. The approach so far has allowed several
states to work with companies advancing autonomous technology in
trucking. A Colorado State Police officer tells a Senate panel in
prepared testimony for a hearing today on autonomous trucks that
"it's time to begin planning in earnest for the deployment of semi-
and fully-automated commercial motor vehicles." The officer
describes a state-supervised test in which a truck traveled 120
miles on Interstate 25 on autonomous technology before a driver
took over for the final turns. The test highlights the potential,
but also raises new questions for regulators, manufacturers and
trucking companies.
TRANSPORTATION
The long slump for dry-bulk shipping companies may be ending.
The Baltic Dry Index, the key measure for the cost of moving
commodities like coal and iron ore, is hovering near its highest
point in nearly three years, the WSJ's Costas Paris reports, and
ship brokers say an improving global economy along with China's
moves to limit its own production of industrial materials are
fueling the upturn. That's welcome news to carriers that have sold
and scrapped ships at heavy discounts to ride out a downturn that's
devastated many fleets. The growth will likely continue because
China's industrial limitations come even as the country steps up
infrastructure spending, boosting demand for seaborne imports.
Broader economic growth is also building up shipments of grain,
lumber and other goods. The shipping rates are rising after years
of downsizing that has left capacity relatively tight, but the
stronger demand is sure to tempt carriers to bulk up fleets
again.
The market-share battle among smartphone makers is triggering
changes in the expansive supply chains for the devices' smallest
components. Japan's Murata Manufacturing Co. completed its roughly
$160 million acquisition of Sony Corp.'s battery division, the
WSJ's Takashi Mochizuki reports, a move likely to increase
competition among the companies that power smartphones from Apple
Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Murata is already a big supplier
of tiny parts to smartphone makers, with 24 factories shipping
components. The company's move to get a bigger piece of the
business is part an upheaval underway in the electronic-components
world as the big manufacturers look for more power and longer life
from the devices. The manufacturing scramble has helped boost
airfreight volumes this year, and the competition for space inside
the phones could restructure some factory supply chains. Murata
faces competition in its drive for more battery business from
Amperex Technology Ltd. and South Korea's LG Chem Ltd.
QUOTABLE
IN OTHER NEWS
Income for the average American household reached a new high
last year for the first time this century. (WSJ)
Offshore driller Seadrill filed for bankruptcy protection in
Texas. (WSJ)
Grain and soybean futures fell after forecasters increased
expectations for this year's harvest, setting up farmers for
another year of large crops and low prices. (WSJ)
The British pound hit a one-year high against the dollar after
figures showed inflation accelerated in August. (WSJ)
Retailer Vitamin World Inc. filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy
protection, citing "significant supply chain and ingredient
availability disruptions." (WSJ)
California officials say they have been sidelined in discussions
between the Trump administration and auto makers over car
fuel-economy standards. (WSJ)
DowDuPont Inc. is altering its plan to splinter into three
companies as it seeks to end the threat of a fight with activist
investors. (WSJ)
Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. will cut its workforce by 20%, move
its headquarters and close offices and manufacturing sites.
(WSJ)
A court approved apparel retailer rue21's plan to exit
bankruptcy with about 780 stores still operating. (WSJ)
U.S. auto inventories rose 0.2% in July after a 1.1% increase in
June. (Reuters)
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May asked President Donald Trump to
intervene in a dispute between Boeing Co. and Canada's Bombardier
Inc. over state aid. (BBC)
The impact of the Irma and Harvey hurricanes renewed calls for
eliminating the Jones Act protections for U.S.-flagged ships.
(Washington Post)
Amazon.com Inc. is on a hiring binge in China as it seeks to
compete more with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (South China Morning
Post)
Logistics software provider WiseTech Global brought ocean
freight-rate specialist CargoSphere and airfreight rate company
Cargoguide for $5.5 million. (American Shipper)
Spot prices for mid-sized crude tankers are at a three-month
high amid stronger demand at storm-hit U.S. ports. (Lloyd's
List)
The Dutch government is set to sharply reduce slots for
freighters at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. (The Loadstar)
Cargo throughput at India's 12 major ports increased 3.3% in the
April-August reporting period. (Port Technology)
Chinese online luxury retailer Secoo Holding Ltd. expect to
raise about $100 million in an initial public offering in the U.S.
(Internet Retailer)
Authorities are investigating the death of a worker in an
accident at a YRC Freight yard in Nashville, Tenn. (WSMV)
ABOUT US
Paul Page is deputy editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Follow him
at @PaulPage, and follow the entire WSJ Logistics Report team:
@brianjbaskin , @jensmithWSJ and @EEPhillips_WSJ. Follow the WSJ
Logistics Report on Twitter at @WSJLogistics.
Write to Paul Page at paul.page@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 13, 2017 06:35 ET (10:35 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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