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The price of goods imported to the United States jumped 2.6% in June, the Labor Department said Friday.

The U.S. trade deficit narrowed by 1.2% in May, as a cheaper U.S. dollar spurred more exports, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The average retail price of diesel jumped 8.2 cents to $4.727 a gallon last week, more than wiping out the entire 7.8-cent drop in the price of trucking’s main fuel over the previous five weeks, the Department of Energy reported July 7.

WASHINGTON — Representatives of trucking and shippers urged Congress to increase truck size and weight limits, but the chairman of the House transportation committee said he opposed longer combination vehicles and had doubts about raising weight limits.

A wave of new insurance companies vying for business from the trucking industry has created an unusual — and welcome — situation: Rates are dropping.

Thousands of used trailers are sitting unsold and gathering dust, as freight demand remains tepid and carriers that would typically up-grade their fleets are postponing purchases, spending their money on fuel instead, according to industry experts.

The Department of Transportation said Friday it is making $1 million available immediately to Wisconsin to help pay for urgent repairs to roads and bridges damaged by recent floods.

A group representing owner-operators said it will challenge the legality of recently passed legislation in Ontario mandating speed limiters on trucks to cap speeds at 65 miles per hour in the Canadian province.

Cargo ships would have to reduce their emissions under federal legislation approved by Congress, which President Bush is expected to sign into law, the Ventura County (Calif.) Star newspaper reported Wednesday.