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Shipping industry praise for the Paris climate-change agreement doesn't disguise a divide in global transport over carbon-emissions reduction efforts. Shipping was left out of the landmark agreement that was reached over the weekend, the WSJ reports, and business groups now are looking for action within the industry. Several say the Paris agreement should provide an impetus for the International Maritime Organization to set a common global standard to curb emissions. The industry's regulatory body isn't committing to setting overall targets, though, and differences among countries and carriers present a high hurdle for action. Some carriers say they want to see a global standard to prevent a patchwork of regional rules from cropping up, a case they'll make next April, when the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee holds its first meeting following the Paris announcement.

The deadline for holiday shipping deliveries is almost here. Shipments are taking significantly longer this year to be delivered, the WSJ's Laura Stevens reports, as online sales push more packages into the distribution stream. It's a sign of the changing nature of shopping, and of the growing competition for customers that is straining delivery channels. It took an average of nearly seven days, or 20% longer than last year, for orders placed on Cyber Monday to arrive, according to retail consultancy Kurt Salmon. A big driver for shoppers may be the price: Ninety percent of retailers offered free shipping, up from 78% from last year. The parcel carriers aren't carrying the goods for free, of course, so the holidays may bring them a big financial boost even as they try to dig out from the flood of orders.

Norfolk Southern Co. and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. are getting closer to a potential proxy fight. The U.S. freight railroad rejected CP's latest $30 billion takeover bid, the WSJ's Laura Stevens reports, in a letter that was even more strongly worded than Norfolk Southern's initial rebuff. Norfolk Southern says its surveyed out regulatory experts, including former members of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, on the possible combination. There's nothing to suggest the CP-NS combination would pass regulatory muster, Norfolk Southern says, and CP doesn't even address the issue. With activist investor William Ackman backing CP, though, it's unlikely the railroad is concerned about the de facto truce that's held back major freight rail consolidation for nearly two decades.

SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIES

Auto-parts makers are preparing to crank up mergers and acquisitions to advance their technology offerings. The suppliers are looking at targets outside the traditional boundaries of the automotive supply chain, the WSJ's Jeff Bennett reports, suggesting a move to software companies. The results of a new Ernst & Young survey suggests a broad change in components manufacturing, with potentially fewer companies competing over parts with greater complexity and higher value. Global M&A in the auto-parts industry is already picking up after slipping earlier in the year. French parts maker Plastic Omnium said Monday it is buying Faurecia SA's automotive exteriors business for an undisclosed amount; and units of India's Mahindra Group agreed to buy 76% of Italian auto designer Pininfarina SpA for about $185 million.

QUOTABLE

IN OTHER NEWS

Argentina's new president will eliminate export taxes on some agriculture products in a bid to stimulate farm production. (WSJ)

Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co. face major hurdles in integrating their far-flung supply chains. (WSJ)

Seattle's city council voted to allow drivers for ride-hailing services like Uber Technologies Inc. to unionize, expanding the challenges the app-driven operators face to their business models. (WSJ)

Natural gas prices fell to a 14-year low as unusually warm weather in the U.S. saps demand. (WSJ)

Most drone owners will have to register their devices under new rules from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. (WSJ)

Consumer-products maker Newell Rubbermaid Inc. will acquire Jarden Corp., merging brands including Yankee Candle and Graco baby strollers. (WSJ)

Sales of new cars in Europe surged 13.7% in November. (WSJ)

An investigation shows Thailand's $7 billion seafood export industry is filled with slavery, and that shrimp peeled by enslaved workers is reaching the U.S., Europe and Asia. (Associated Press)

Truckload spot rates surged in the first week of December as retailers showed increased demand for inventory replenishment. (DC Velocity)

Police say a worker at a Ford Motor Corp. Ohio plant stole $500,000 worth of tire sensors and tried to sell them online. (Industry Week)

The Ethical Trading Initiative says it found "massive exploitation" of workers in Italy's tomato farming. (Supply Management)

The arrival of mega-ships at U.S. ports will lead to more automation at container terminals. (JOC)

Schenker AG will buy a controlling stake in British trucker Redhead International and merge its operations with DB Schenker Logistics. (Motor Transport)

Break bulk ship operator AAL and competitor Swire Shipping will consolidate Asia-Australia services amid declining commodity shipping business. (BreakBulk)

Global cotton production has fallen below projected consumption for the first time in five seasons but high stocks are keeping prices high. (Fibre2Fashion)

The U.S. Senate may vote this week on a bill to update trade regulations in reauthorizing Customs programs. (American Shipper)

Cargo handling equipment maker Southworth International Group acquired Sweden-based Margo AB. (Modern Materials Handling)

ABOUT US

Paul Page is deputy editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Follow him at @PaulPage, and follow the entire WSJ Logistics Report team: @brianjbaskin, @lorettachao, @RWhelanWSJ and @EEPhillips_WSJ, and follow the WSJ Logistics Report on Twitter at @WSJLogistics.

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Write to Paul Page at paul.page@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 15, 2015 06:45 ET (11:45 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2015 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.