The launch of two global container-shipping alliances last week got off to a rough start, with cargo owners in Europe complaining of long delays to carry goods to Asia.

U.S. seaports are joining forces, setting aside decades of regional competition over cargo as a wave of consolidation in the shipping industry threatens to cut some cities out of global trade routes.

The Trump administration appears poised to cement China's unfavorable status in trade cases, making Chinese goods eligible for higher U.S. tariffs well into the future.

Vickers Engineering Inc. embodies the potential of American manufacturing. The New Troy, Mich., machining company supplies precision parts to clients including Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG , and exports to Mexico and Canada. Its staff has risen fivefold and average pay has doubled over the past decade, says Chief Executive Matt Tyler.

U.S. Justice Department investigators crashed a meeting of the world's 20 biggest container-shipping operators and gave subpoenas to top executives at several companies as part of a probe on price fixing, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Once considered a competitive advantage, store footprints have now become a burden for many chains as more shopping moves online. This week, executives from several large retailers and online sellers, including Amazon.com Inc., were under the same roof at Shoptalk to discuss the future of retail - and where physical locations fit into the picture.

China's exporting slowdown weighed heavily on U.S. seaborne trade last month, dragging down inbound volumes at major gateways from Southern California to Virginia.

Trucking fleets stepped up hiring at the fastest pace in five years in February, adding 10,600 jobs in a display of confidence as companies across U.S. industries ramped up payrolls.

Big food retailers are expanding grocery delivery services, hoping to dissuade customers from defecting to online rivals.