Productivity and cost-saving initiatives have spread in waves across corporate America during the last several years, as businesses have struggled to survive and prosper in a rocky economy. One of the results is that companies are streamlining and centralizing their purchasing practices in an attempt to be more efficient.

* $2B HIT ON US GOODS (Maggie Haberman, New York Post)

Toilet paper, sunglasses, toothpaste, raffle tickets, almonds and Christmas trees are among the US exports to Mexico facing $2.4 billion in new tariffs as the result of a border war over a scuttled trucking program, officials said yesterday.

* 7-footers a prized hoops commodity (Brad Rock, Deseret Morning News)

The ground trembles, small animals scurry, villagers stare in wonder. It’s Godzilla making his way down the avenue; Kong climbing the Empire State Building; Bunyan strolling through the trees.

* Green Ink: Crude Rallies, Pipeline Politics, and Ethanol Deals (Keith Johnson, Wall Street Journal)

Crude oil futures surged over $50 a barrel after the Fed s $1 trillion deb-purchase plan was unveiled, Bloomberg reports . That s either because the Fed plan will stimulate the economy and oil demand, or because it is killing the dollar, which sends commodities higher. Either way, Morgan Stanley s still bearish , calling $35 oil for the rest of the year, also in Bloomberg.

* re: Buy Gold on Weakness (National Post)

Today the U. S. Federal Reserve Bank announced plans to expand its quantitative easing operations by purchasing government bonds, which sent all markets — equities, commodities and bonds — higher, suggesting fresh money is flooding into the markets. The U. S. dollar sold off on the news. Investors are wise to accumulate gold on weakness over the next year to hedge portfolios against inflation…

* Selling powder: Snowcats take skiers to the best backcountry snow (Greg Johnston, Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

The dreams of an avid skier or snowboarder rarely involve a ski area, but rather focus on that rare commodity that falls from the sky white and fresh in the out of bounds and hasn’t been touched by a soul.

* Local View: Some explanation for natural gas increases (Lincoln Journal Star)

* NC senator offers his ‘seat’ for Duke-Carolina tix (Emery P. Dalesio)

* Students get head start in deciding career paths (William Croyle, Cincinnati Enquirer)