Advance wholesale inventories in January reached $905.2 billion, a 0.7% increase from December and a 1.1% rise year over year, per data from the Census Bureau. Durable goods inventories increased 0.8% from a month earlier and 1.1% from a year earlier, with inventories of nondurable goods up 0.6% from December and 1.8% annually. Meanwhile, the trade deficit jumped to $153.3 billion in Jan., a $31.2 billion increase from the previous month.

The US Treasury Department has announced it will not enforce the Corporate Transparency Act, which requires businesses to disclose their beneficial owners. This decision comes after opposition from the Trump administration and legal challenges, citing concerns about the burden on low-risk entities. The Treasury plans to narrow the act's scope to focus on foreign reporting companies.

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors commended the Trump administration for suspending the CTA's enforcement, with Chief Government Affairs Officer Brian Wild calling it "a welcome relief" for businesses. However, Wild noted NAW would continue to fight against the CTA. "The CTA is still on the books, and its legality remains unresolved," Wild said in a statement. "We continue to file amicus briefs in the ongoing constitutional challenges to this law. NAW continues to believe this law exceeds Congress' authority under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution."

A&M Industrial, a New Jersey distributor of industrial and maintenance, repair and operations supplies, is a third-generation family business that if focused on innovation, embracing new opportunities and maintaining its core values, President David Young and Chief Operating Officer Josh Young say in the latest MDM Podcast. The father-son leadership team detail the family business and discuss the distributor's expansion into automation, pursuit of acquisitions and plans to build new headquarters and a distribution center.

Agility Robotics' Digit robots are currently being tested at a Spanx distribution center, performing tasks like retrieving bins and loading conveyors. Advancements in AI and declining capital costs have led to increased adoption of humanoid robots in warehouses and factories, providing industries struggling to attract workers with the ability to fill the labor gap.

Ocean carriers are facing significant challenges as annual negotiations with US companies begin. The decline in freight rates, driven by tariff changes and shifts in carrier alliances, is impacting pricing power. Brian Nemeth, global co-leader of AlixPartners' logistics & transportation practice, said after a period of front-loading to preempt tariff threats, the peak season for freight markets has eased and costs are normalizing in the US.

B2B marketers are investing heavily in AI to automate data analysis and enhance buyer engagement, but many lack cohesive strategies for these investments, according to Alexander Kesler of INFUSEmedia. Kesler offers tactics for using AI to improve personalization, account-based experiences and performance insights, emphasizing the need for unified strategies and upskilling teams.

President Donald Trump has delivered on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, citing insufficient progress on issues such as fentanyl smuggling and migration. Energy products are subject to a 10% tariff. Canada plans to impose retaliatory tariffs, and US stocks fell in response to the news.

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