BEIJING—Foxconn is freezing hiring of assembly-line workers in China after a greater than normal number of employees returned to work following the Lunar New Year holiday.

WINDSOR, ON—A parts shortage has halted production at Chrysler Canada’s assembly plant here.

AUBURN HILLS, MI—ABB Robotics and Fronius International have agreed to collaboratively develop fully equipped robotic welding packages.

WASHINGTON, DC—The equipment leasing and finance index rose for a third straight month in February, reflecting increasing optimism about the economy.

SEATTLE—Boeing has developed possible fixes for the battery problems in its grounded 787 jets and could have them back in the air within two months, industry and federal officials said Wednesday.

BERLIN—Mercedes-Benz USA is planning to launch 30 new models to the market in the upcoming seven years.

CHICAGO—In a debate over whether multinational corporations have a duty to maintain a strong presence in their home countries, Reshoring Initiative founder Harry Moser defeated Columbia University professor of economics and law Jagdish Bhaqwati.

EVANSVILLE, IN—Systems integrator Evana Automation Specialists has received a contract from a Tier 1 automotive supplier to provide two custom, semiautomatic assembly cells that will simplify the production of automobile seat rail link arms.

CLEVELAND—Thirty-seven percent of metal-forming companies predict that economic activity will improve during the next three months, and 50 percent expect an increase in orders, according to the February Business Conditions Report from the Precision Metalforming Association. That’s an increase from 32 percent in January.

PITTSBURGH—Safety equipment manufacturer MSA has created a new line of hard hats made from a green plastic sourced entirely from sugarcane.