Today's Logistics Report: Electrified Supply Chains; Suing Online Commerce; Cybersecurity for Suppliers

By Paul Page

The electrification of vehicles is triggering bigger changes in automotive supply chains. General Motors Co. and South Korea's LG Chem plan to jointly build a $2.3 billion battery-cell factory in Ohio, the WSJ's Mike Colias reports, the latest example of how auto makers are plowing big money into technology that is transforming the sector. Consultancy AlixPartners LP says auto makers are gearing up to spend $225 billion over the next few years to develop new electric vehicles and are partnering with and investing in battery makers to help provide the power. Volkswagen AG plans to spend $1 billion on battery production, including a joint-venture investment with a Swedish startup, and Tesla Inc. established its massive Gigafactory battery plant in Nevada in partnership with Japan's Panasonic Corp. The GM-LG battery factory will be built near Lordstown, Ohio, where GM last spring shuttered a large vehicle-assembly plant.

E-COMMERCE

Hoverboards' brief ride as a consumer toy of choice a few years ago has left behind major legal liability questions for Amazon.com Inc. and other e-commerce companies. The popularity of the self-balancing scooters flamed out in a series of fires that hit households in 2015 and 2016, causing some $2.3 million in property damage and triggering at least 17 lawsuits against Amazon. Several cases remain active, the WSJ's Alexandra Berzon writes, and they are testing the longtime argument by modern technology companies that they provide only the platform that connects buyers and sellers and aren't responsible for ensuring safety standards. Those questions hit the shipping industry as growing awareness of the hoverboard transport hazards set off alarms for carriers and regulators. The hoverboard cases have produced a trove of documents that show the vulnerability in the vast scale and relatively anonymous structure of Amazon's platform.

SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIES

Cybersecurity protection is taking on a more prominent role for companies assessing their suppliers. Security professionals are looking for more sophisticated tools to evaluate the risks that providers present in the supply chain, the WSJ's James Rundle and Catherine Stupp report, and are going beyond the general vendor surveys that have long been a favored procurement due-diligence tool. It's part of a broader effort to protect businesses from hacking, ransomware and other threats that have emerged in the digital era. Forrester Research Inc. analyst Alla Valente says the first step should be creating a catalog of all suppliers and the data they have access to. Assessing the security of suppliers is more challenging since operators may have thousands of companies on their list. Some experts say the best solution for companies with long supplier lists may be using third-party certification to assure the vendor has been closely vetted.

QUOTABLE

IN OTHER NEWS

U.S. imports of consumer goods declined 4.4% in October. (WSJ)

Canadian exports rose 0.8% in October and imports advanced 0.5%. (WSJ)

Germany's manufacturing orders fell unexpectedly from September to October. (WSJ)

Beijing officials say China's trade negotiations with the U.S. remain on track. (WSJ)

French cities were paralyzed by a massive public transport strike against a planned overhaul of France's pensions system. (WSJ)

Oscar Munoz is stepping down as chief executive of United Airlines Holding Inc. and will be replaced by Scott Kirby. (WSJ)

Kroger Co.'s quarterly profit fell 17% to $263 million despite a 2.5% gain in same-store sales. (WSJ)

Retailer Michaels Co. lowered its outlook after comparable store sales fell 2.2% in the third quarter. (WSJ)

Quarterly same-store sales at Dollar General Corp. jumped 4.4%. (WSJ)

Retailer Tractor Supply Co. named Hal Lawton, a former executive at Macy's Inc., eBay Inc. and Home Depot Inc., as chief executive. (WSJ)

A jury convicted former Bumble Bee Foods LLC CEO Christopher Lischewski for his role in a scheme to fix canned tuna prices. (WSJ)

California has recovered more than $23 million from 52 automobile parts makers in settlements over a bid-rigging investigation. (Associated Press)

Amazon is challenging Japan's traditional service culture by leaving packages at the door. (Nikkei Asian Review)

Indian e-commerce company Flipkart Group led a $60 million investment round in logistics startup Shadowfax. (Economic Times)

European Union member states want to review the EU tax exemption for ship fuel oil. (Shipping Watch)

China State Shipbuilding Corp. is designing a l iquefied natural gas-powered containership with capacity for 25,000 20-foot containers. (Lloyd's List)

Several new chemical plants are coming online that signal coming growth in U.S. resin production. (Petrochemical Update)

DP World-owned regional shipping line Unifeeder Group took a controlling stake in Singapore operator Feedertech Group. (Port Technology)

A majority of British businesses in a survey say they value cost savings from suppliers over innovation. (Logistics Manager)

ABOUT US

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage , @jensmithWSJ and @CostasParis. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on Twitter at @WSJLogistics.

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

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 06, 2019 10:42 ET (15:42 GMT)

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