°®¶¹´«Ã½

For years, U.S. producers have counted on Mexico to buy enormous quantities of natural gas from the prolific shale fields in West Texas and elsewhere. The fracking boom has given rise to massive pipeline projects to carry that gas across the border, where energy production has plummeted.

An ambitious plan to boost Mexico’s oil and gas production could slow the country’s energy sector reforms and hinder trade opportunities for U.S. refiners and pipeline companies that have ramped up exports to meet growing demand there, according to research firm Morningstar.

The National Retail Federation said Jan. 5 that retail imports surged in Houston and other U.S. ports amid a rise in consumer confidence and spending.