US wholesaler inventories were down 0.5% in December, driven by a decline in inventories of durable goods and products, per data from the Census Bureau. Wholesale sales increased by 1.0% in December to $686.5 billion, while the inventory-to-sales ratio fell to 1.31, indicating wholesalers could sell their current stocks faster than in previous months.

DXP Enterprises, a Houston-based distributor of industrial supplies and pumping solutions, has acquired Arroyo Process Equipment, a Florida-based distributor of pumps and process equipment that serves industrial markets from three locations in the Sunshine State. The Arroyo deal will help DXP expand in the region, diversify its end markets and enhance its capabilities in the rotating equipment sector.

President Donald Trump will impose new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, adding to existing duties, as part of his trade policy escalation. The move, set to be announced today, raises concerns over potential retaliatory measures from trading partners such as Canada and Mexico, which supply a significant portion of US metal imports. Trump also plans to introduce reciprocal tariffs matching foreign duties, increasing uncertainty in global trade markets.

US ports continue to see high import levels as retailers have been stocking up on goods to mitigate the impact of tariffs on China and potential tariffs on other countries, according to the Global Port Tracker report from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. "Retailers have engaged in mitigation strategies to minimize the potential impact of tariffs, including frontloading of some products, but that can lead to increased challenges because of added warehousing and related costs," said NRF's Jonathan Gold.

Data from the Baltic and International Maritime Council indicates that ship capacity through the Panama Canal was 10% lower between September 2024 and January 2025 compared to the average from 2019 to 2022. Various factors contributed to the drop, including trade pattern changes and transit fees.

Business automation can transform B2B marketing and sales by simplifying processes, reducing human intervention and enhancing efficiency. Marathon Health's success in generating $66 million in net new pipeline revenue by integrating AI-driven tools and personalized marketing illustrates the potential. Automation supports marketing by improving personalization, content distribution and real-time analytics, while also benefiting HR, payroll and customer support.

Many companies are setting up "tariff war rooms" to deal in real-time with the effects of the Trump administration's trade policies, and David Garfield, the co-CEO of AlixPartners, recommends developing a playbook for issues such as sourcing, price changes and negotiations or other operational changes. Other executives advise leaders to be transparent about their strategies, scrutinize costs, build in price buffers and know how much of a price shift their industry can absorb.

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