Key Currency Exchange Rates for Friday, 10/29/21

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.744646; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.137449; American Dollar to Euro = 1.059399; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.006702; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.057198.

FedEx Corp. announced that its Board of Directors has concluded a comprehensive assessment of the role of FedEx Freight as part of its portfolio and has decided to pursue a full separation of FedEx Freight through the capital markets, creating a new publicly traded company. The separation is expected to be achieved in a tax-efficient manner for FedEx stockholders and executed within the next 18 months. As two industry-leading public companies, FedEx and FedEx Freight will continue to pursue their growth strategies. The separation will allow for more customized operational execution along with more tailored investment and capital allocation strategies to serve the unique and evolving needs of both the global parcel and LTL markets. They will also maintain the strategic advantages of cooperation on key commercial, operational, and technology initiatives. Customers of both businesses will continue to enjoy the same superior service, speed, and coverage they have come to expect from FedEx.

Labor talks at U.S. ports on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico are a looming risk for retailers, manufacturers and other shippers already grappling with longer transit times and higher costs. The International Longshoremen's Association contract covering 45,000 dockworkers at three dozen ports stretching from Maine to Texas expires on Sept. 30. If there is no deal by then, the union could call a strike that would hit during the vital holiday container shipping season and labor-friendly U.S. President Joe Biden's bid for reelection. The ILA on Monday called off this week's planned start of talks with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, citing one member of that employer group's use of automation technology in violation of prior agreements.