By Paul Page
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Sorry about that Rockdale, Texas, and thanks for coming
Scarborough, Maine. Amazon.com Inc. delivered heartbreak and
excitement across North America with its list of the 20
metropolitan areas the company will consider for its second
headquarters, the WSJ's Laura Stevens writes, kicking off an
intense final selection in the contest for the tech giant's
investment and jobs. Pared down from a list of 238 applicants, the
finalists include big cities such as New York, Boston and Chicago,
sites as small as Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, as well as
Washington, D.C., and two of its suburbs. The decision expected
this year is likely to bring the final choice luster as a hub for
technology in the fast-growing e-commerce arena. The
closely-watched site selection has highlighted burgeoning economies
in cities such as Atlanta and Newark, N.J., and areas that have
fallen short. The good news for some of the also-rans is that they
landed on Amazon's radar for future investment, including the
fulfillment centers that have been adding jobs at a rapid pace.
Canadian oil shippers appear to be on board the Keystone XL
pipeline. TransCanada Corp. says it has gotten enough commitments
from shippers to proceed with the controversial expansion project
in 2019. The WSJ's Vipal Monga reports the oil companies are on
board to ship 500,000 barrels a day for 20 years, creating new
flows to Gulf Coast refineries and bolstering oil distribution
channels roiled by changes in energy markets. Some of those
refiners may be more interested in Canadian crude volumes as
shipments from Venezuela's troubled drillers have waned. The
pipeline investment comes as oil transport across North America has
faded, hit by growing competition from natural gas and safety
concerns arising from derailments in recent years. Carloads of
petroleum products on U.S. railroads fell 12.2% last year,
according to the Association of American Railroads, and a slight
0.7% year-over-year increase in December ended 31 straight months
of declining traffic.
There may be only one remaining airline that's a fan of the A380
superjumbo, but that's enough to keep the production line alive.
Emirates Airlines says it will pay $16 billion to buy up to 36 more
of the double-decker planes, the WSJ's Robert Wall reports,
allowing Airbus SE to keep running a production line for a plane
that's seen a dramatic dropoff in interest in a changing aerospace
business. Airlines from passenger carriers to cargo operators have
been moving away from the biggest aircraft used in scheduled
service. They've turned toward smaller jets that fit better into
economic models that tout frequent flights and nimble adjustments
to changing markets. Emirates will account for more than half of
all A380s ordered if it exercises all options. Airbus is reducing
output of the A380, however, even as the plane maker and rival
Boeing Co. speed up production of the smaller planes that airlines
prefer.
GOVERNMENT & REGULATION
When the Chinese-registered bulk cargo ship the Xin Sheng Hai
loitered in the waters off the Russian port city of Vladivostok
last August, the U.S. was watching. The vessel is one of six owned
or operated by Chinese companies that the U.S. tracked with
satellite photographs and other intelligence moving coal illicitly
from North Korea, the WSJ's Michael R. Gordon and Chun Han Wong
report. The intelligence suggests the operations were more
extensive than China has admitted, and repercussions could reach
deeper into the region's shipping world. The information, including
the ships identified by name, tracks ship-to-ship transfers of
cargo and other elaborate tactics the vessels took in what the U.S.
says were violations of United Nations sanctions against North
Korea. The information depicts operations moving alongside
legitimate Asian distribution channels, taking in ports and using
shipping techniques such as switching beacons on and off to mislead
anyone tracking the ships electronically.
QUOTABLE
IN OTHER NEWS
Surging U.S. crude oil production this year is expected to
surpass output in Saudi Arabia and rival that of Russia, the
world's largest producers. (WSJ)
China's economy expanded 6.9% last year, the first growth
acceleration in seven years. (WSJ)
The number of Americans filing applications for new unemployment
benefits fell to the lowest level in nearly 45 years. (WSJ)
New housing starts in the U.S. tumbled 8.2% in December.
(WSJ)
Federal climate experts ranked 2017 among the three warmest
years in modern times. (WSJ)
International Business Machines Corp. reported higher revenue
for the first time in 23 quarters and signaled continued growth.
(WSJ)
The European Union and South Africa gave conditional approval to
Qualcomm Inc.'s acquisition of NXP Semiconductors NV. (WSJ)
Peugeot SA is using its purchase of General Motors Co.'s German
unit to set the groundwork to make cars at U.S.-market standards.
(WSJ)
Fleet management group Ryder System Inc. named Rajeev Ravindran
chief information officer. (WSJ)
Cargill Inc. struck a joint venture pact with Puris, the largest
North American producer of pea protein. (Minneapolis Star
Tribune)
Volkswagen Group plans to start exporting cars from China to
Southeast Asia nations. (Automotive Logistics)
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.'s fourth-quarter operating
profit fell 25% on rising costs that included driver pay and the
impact of intermodal rail congestion. (Fleet Owner)
Fast-rising truck rates are leading some agriculture buyers to
shift their sourcing decisions. (The Packer)
South Africa gave the final regulatory approval for the
operating merger of Japan's three big container shipping lines.
(The Loadstar)
Shipping lines and port terminal operators say cargo customers
are vastly overstating the use of fees and penalty charges.
(American Shipper)
Norfolk Southern Corp. is working toward a "more stable,
resilient" network following recent service problems. (Reuters)
Hawaii started construction of the long-delayed Kapalama
Container Terminal at Honolulu Harbor. (KHON)
Apple Inc. broke ground on a warehouse in Reno, Nev., serving a
nearby data center. (Reno Gazette Journal)
China's JD.com helped lead a funding round for Vietnamese online
retailer Tiki. (TechCrunch)
Northeast China's Dandong Port defaulted on its second note
payment in recent months. (Splash 24/7)
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
January 19, 2018 06:31 ET (11:31 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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