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China Commits to Buying U.S. Farm Goods; Ford Outlines Europe Plan, Signs Energy-Storage Deal By Mark R. Long | WSJ Logistics Report
China will buy $17 billion worth of U.S. agricultural goods through 2028, the White House said in a fact sheet outlining the results of meetings last week
between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The agricultural deal will come in addition to soybean purchases China already agreed to make. Last fall, China said that in 2026 it would start buying
25 million metric tons a year of U.S. soybeans . The WSJ's Gavin Bade writes that the fact sheet didn't specify which farm products would be sold, but corn, wheat and soybean futures moved higher on the announcement, as did shares in agricultural companies.
Beijing will also buy 200 Boeing aircraft for Chinese airlines, the U.S. confirmed. Expectations before the meetings were that they would purchase 500 aircraft or more; disappointment over the smaller final number
sent Boeing shares lower at the end of last week. Trump said then that more planes could be sold if the initial orders went well.
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Number of the Day Automakers & Energy
Ford Motor outlined a broad product-and-technology strategy for Europe and separately signed a large-scale battery energy storage agreement
in North America, the Journal's Connor Hart writes.
The automaker said it plans to introduce a new heavy-duty pickup truck in Europe, as well as an all-electric van designed for urban fleets. Ford is aiming to launch five new passenger vehicles across the region by the end of 2029. Under its new European strategy, Ford will also reposition its Ford Pro arm into a productivity partner from a vehicle manufacturer, using software and services to maximize returns.
Ford also said its energy business
signed a five-year framework agreement with EDF power solutions North America. Under the deal, EDF will be able to procure up to 4 gigawatt-hours a year of Ford Energy's DC Block battery systems. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2028, Ford said.
Quotable Construction
The legal liabilities of some of America's biggest home builders have surged in recent years as buyers increasingly sue for damages
from alleged construction defects.
Homeowners say the legal claims are the result of builders constructing shoddier, error-ridden homes, the WSJ's Nicholas G. Miller writes. They allege that builders are using cheaper materials , cutting corners and hiring unqualified and undersupervised subcontractors. Builders say the claims reflect a tiny fraction of the total homes they produce and that errors are typically the fault of subcontractors, not the companies, and that plaintiffs' lawyers are actively seeking out homeowners to pursue claims.
The mounting legal bills represent an additional headache for the home-building industry, which is already coping with a stagnant housing market by offering buyers significant mortgage-rate buydowns. Labor shortages and rising materials costs are also making building homes more expensive.
U.S. home-builder confidence improved in May, but remains negative
due to high mortgage rates and the war in Iran. (WSJ) In Other News NextEra Energy agreed to buy Dominion Energy in a roughly $67 billion deal that would create an East Coast energy titan
and require approval
from a handful of regulators. (WSJ) Thyssenkrupp will close its Terre Haute, Ind., plant
by March 31 next year, eliminating 230 jobs, as part of a restructuring of its automotive-technology unit. (WSJ) Australia ordered six shareholders in rare-earths company
Northern Minerals, five of them China-linked, to divest stakes on national-interest grounds. (WSJ) Anglo American agreed to sell Australian steelmaking coal assets
to Dhilmar for up to $3.875 billion in cash. (WSJ) Samsung Electronics' management and union leaders resumed wage talks to avert a potentially disruptive strike . (WSJ) Boating retailer West Marine filed for bankruptcy protection , citing weaker sales as consumers pull back on outdoor recreation. (Bloomberg) AD Ports said it agreed to acquire German forwarder
MBS Logistics Group. (Journal of Commerce) China's Hengyi Petrochemical plans to spend $3.8 billion to build what it says would be the world's biggest coal-to-ethylene glycol plant
in Xinjiang. (Yicai Global) CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd suspended bookings to and from Cuba
until further notice. (Reuters) A five-year transportation bill released by House committee leaders would provide over $50 billion for bridge investments , and create a federal framework for autonomous commercial vehicles. (Transport Topics) About Us
Mark R. Long is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at [mark.long@wsj.com]. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team on LinkedIn: Mark R. Long , Liz Young and Paul Berger .
This article is a text version of a Wall Street Journal newsletter published earlier today.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 19, 2026 07:02 ET (11:02 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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