By Jennifer Smith 

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The shadow of a no-deal Brexit is looming over Europe-based supply chains. Companies whose operations routinely cross the English Channel such as Sanofi SA and Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC are stockpiling supplies and mapping out new freight routes aimed at bypassing expected bottlenecks, the WSJ's Denise Roland and Robert Wall report. mirroring the steps being taken by U.K.-based operations. French pharma company Sanofi, which provides around a fifth of Britain's insulin, ramped up production in Germany and sent six weeks' worth to the U.K. It's also testing alternative ferry routes in case the Port of Dover get jammed up, and has moved some quality testing operations from England to Ireland. Rolls-Royce may bypass British ports entirely by sending some aircraft-engine deliveries that would normally move by truck to Wales for air transport to France. One executive says some shifts may be permanent.

Electronics suppliers are reeling as Chinese smartphone demand slumps. Japanese component maker Nidec Corp. slashed its earnings forecast after ratcheting back production by more than 30% for Chinese customers, the WSJ's Takashi Mochizuki writes. The Apple Inc. and automotive components supplier is a bellwether for the global economy, and plays a key role in China's export machine. But a dramatic drop in year-end orders from Chinese vehicle and appliance makers led Nidec to cut its revenue outlook by nearly 9% and lowered its net profit forecast by about 25% for the year. Chief Executive Shigenobu Nagamori said it was the steepest single-month order decline he's seen in his decades in the business. Other major Asian suppliers are also scaling back forecasts, suggesting slimmer shipments of goods that are a foundation of expedited supply chains.

Expectations for self-driving vehicle technology are downshifting. A spate of crashes has cooled the once-splashy sector as autonomous-vehicle developers wrestle with basic driving scenarios that highlight the challenges of replacing human drivers, the WSJ's Tim Higgins writes. Auto makers like General Motors Co. are investing billions to develop vehicle systems that can brake, steer and make critical decisions without a person at the wheel. But advances are coming more slowly than anticipated, funneling industry ambitions into more accessible projects such as low-speed robot shuttles and taxis. Truck manufacturers are maintaining their focus on automation even as the industry debates benefits in areas such as platooning. The caution in the automotive world could slow the turbulent changes underway in the industry's supply chains, where car makers and components suppliers have been teaming up in various forms to address technology changes.

SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIES

Amazon.com Inc. has gone from disrupting publishing to effectively owning an end-to-end supply chain for books. The company that started out selling books online now has its own 15-imprint publishing arm, the WSJ's Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg reports, and is raising industry hackles by using its extensive digital reach to promote those works to millions of Amazon customers. Tools include emails that exclusively showcase Amazon Publishing titles as well as the company's Kindle Unlimited book subscription service. Amazon accounts for nearly half of all book sales, and a push can catapult titles to must-reads, though the exposure can also mean lower returns for self-published authors. "They aren't gaming the system, they own the system," said one literary agent. Complaints about the company's drive to become the publisher, distributor and seller of books echo those in the broader retail world, where Amazon-branded products increasingly compete with other suppliers and sellers.

QUOTABLE

IN OTHER NEWS

U.S. trade negotiators are considering scaling back tariffs on Chinese imports. (WSJ)

A gauge of U.S. layoffs fell last week to a near 49-year low. (WSJ)

U.S. and Chinese trade officials are in talks to reopen China to American chicken exports. (WSJ)

PPG Industries Inc. may split its paint and coatings businesses . (WSJ)

Canadian crude prices are up 40% since forced production cuts last month. (WSJ)

Brewers and liquor companies are rolling out non-alcoholic drinks as Americans consume less alcohol. (WSJ)

Children's clothing retailer Gymboree Group Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than two years. (WSJ)

Retailers increasingly are deploying artificial intelligence in logistics and customer service. (WSJ)

Electronics maker Koninklijke Philips NV is closing its only factory in the U.K. (BBC)

Bangladesh is raising garment worker wages after a week of violent protests. (Sourcing Journal)

Ford Motor Co., International Business Machines Corp. and others are testing blockchain tools to ethically source minerals. (Mining Review)

A severe sandstorm forced the closing of several Egyptian ports. (Reuters)

AP Moller-Maersk A/S is close to sellingHamburg Süd's bulker and tanker unit. (Lloyd's List)

Ocean Network Alliance members extended their agreement through 2027. (Seatrade-Maritime)

Container ship scrapping is expected to grow this year. (The Loadstar)

Maersk will inspect loaded containers at a handful of U.S. ports. (Splash247)

Virgin Atlantic Cargo and Delta Airlines Inc.'s joint cargo will move to a new 335,000 square-foot facility at London Heathrow Airport. (Air Cargo News)

Strong grain shipping pushed cargo volume on the St. Lawrence Seaway up 7% last year to the highest level since 2007. (Regina Leader Post)

United Parcel Service Inc. is starting Saturday pick-ups for U.S. importers. (DC Velocity)

A California port trucker is shutting a warehouse the Teamsters have been trying to organize. (Daily Breeze)

Vehicle relocation service Auto Driveaway is expanding into heavy truck transport. (Heavy Duty Trucking)

Flatbed trucker Daseke Inc. named former Walmart Inc. transportation executive Chris Easter chief operating officer. (Business Journals)

Thousands of cricket shoes were stolen from a truck parked near Leeds in the U.K. (Yorkshire Post)

ABOUT US

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

Write to Jennifer Smith at jennifer.smith@wsj.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 18, 2019 10:14 ET (15:14 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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