Today's Supply Chain Pulse
Oman transit corridor revives India’s West Asia trade
India’s May 2026 exports to West Asia rebounded to $5.30 billion after a sharp March dip, thanks to a new transit corridor through Oman’s Sohar, Salalah and Duqm ports that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. The recovery was led by the UAE, where shipments rose 3.18% year‑on‑year, and Saudi Arabia, which also saw notable gains.
Also developing:
By the numbers: GIA acquires 30% stake in De Beers' Tracr blockchain platform
One Big Thing Will Solve Rail’s Growth Problem, Says NS CEO
Norfolk Southern CEO Mark George said a merger with Union Pacific could finally break the rail industry's two‑decade growth slump. He highlighted that both carriers have seen freight volumes fall—NS down 11% and UP down 15%—as shippers shift to trucks. The proposed transcontinental system would eliminate costly hand‑offs at interchanges, potentially shaving 95 hours off trips from Southern California to the Southeast. George warned the Surface Transportation Board will need to clear a 7,000‑page filing, a process that could take a year or more.
PV Module Prices Continue to Rise Unabated
Photovoltaic module prices climbed for the fourth month in a row, rising 5.5% between March and April 2026, with all‑black modules posting the steepest gains. The increase occurs despite falling polysilicon costs and the removal of Chinese export tax credits,...
Saudia Partners with NSG IFC for Major Fleet Upgrade
Saudia turns to NSG IFC for “significant” portion of fleet; equipage has already begun https://t.co/hjqDaCcwdV
DRC Moves to Secure Fuel Supply From Dangote Refinery Amid Global Market Pressures
Democratic Republic of Congo is evaluating fuel imports from Nigeria’s Dangote refinery to diversify its petroleum supply and boost energy security. Deputy Prime Minister Daniel Mukoko met Aliko Dangote and United Bank for Africa officials to discuss direct supply agreements and financing...
The Chocolate Tastes Bitter at Barry Callebaut
Barry Callebaut, the Swiss chocolate giant, reported a more than 7% revenue drop to CHF 6.75 billion (≈$7.4 billion) in the first half of its fiscal year, driven by supply‑chain disruptions linked to the war in Iran and excess cocoa capacity. Sales volumes...
The Role of an Offset Striking Wrench in Modern Robotics
The offset striking wrench, a hand‑held impact tool with an angled head, is gaining prominence in modern robotics for assembly, maintenance, and heavy‑duty applications. Its design lets technicians deliver high torque in tight spaces where conventional wrenches cannot reach, ensuring...
Fire at Viva Energy's Corio Refinery Threatens 10% of Australia's Fuel Supply
A major fire at Viva Energy's Corio refinery in Geelong has halted production on two petrol units, jeopardizing roughly 10% of the nation's fuel supply. Energy Minister Chris Bowen and refinery CEO Scott Wyatt warned of possible shortfalls while firefighting...
Flexport's 128% Thailand Growth Fueled by Hard Work
Flexport grew 128% y/o/y in Thailand. I'm here at Flexport Bangkok today to see what we're doing to make this happen. It turns out the answer is "working really hard." https://t.co/ekESaZCNY2
UK‑EU Forum Pre‑Summit: Assessing Progress in Brussels
The UK EU Forum in Brussels. An opportunity to take stock of where we are ahead of the Summit https://t.co/ovQTv458LO
TSMC Q1 Profit Jumps 58% to $18bn as AI Demand Fuels Surge
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. posted a 58.3% year‑on‑year increase in first‑quarter net profit to NT$572.5 bn ($18 bn), while revenue rose 35.1% to NT$1.13 trn ($36 bn). The surge reflects surging AI‑related chip orders and reinforces TSMC’s position as the backbone of the global...
Boeing Delivers Three 777Fs in March
Boeing delivered three new‑build 777F freighters in March 2026, raising the year‑to‑date total to eight. Two aircraft went to Emirates and one to MSC Air Cargo, adding to earlier deliveries for Silk Way West, CES Leasing, Qatar Airways and National Airlines....
Citadel CEO Ken Griffin Warns a Six‑to‑twelve‑month Hormuz Shutdown Would Trigger a Global Recession
Citadel founder Ken Griffin told the Semafor World Economic conference that a six‑to‑12‑month closure of the Strait of Hormuz would make a global recession unavoidable. He linked the risk to oil prices above $100 a barrel and the chokepoint’s role...
Solar Procurement Is Changing as Geopolitics ‘Redefines Risk’
Solar buyers in Europe are shifting procurement focus from pure cost to security, ESG compliance, and cyber‑risk mitigation, as highlighted at the SolarPLUS Europe conference in Milan. Geopolitical tensions—such as the Strait of Hormuz blockade and China’s polysilicon consolidation—are creating...
Middle East War Spikes Oil Prices, Straining Emerging Market Budgets and Fuel Subsidies
The war in the Middle East has triggered the biggest oil‑supply disruption in history, sending Brent up over 60% and forcing Jamaica’s government to abandon a $4.50‑per‑litre fuel cap, a move that could cost the island $80 million in lost revenue....
Deliverect Streamlines Quick-Commerce Operations for Asda
Deliverect, the Belgian food‑tech unicorn, has signed a partnership with UK supermarket Asda to streamline its quick‑commerce operations. The platform consolidates orders from on‑demand delivery services such as Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo into a single workflow, giving Asda...
18 Ways to Break Through Global Supply Chain Complexity
The article outlines 18 actionable strategies for global supply‑chain leaders to navigate mounting tariff volatility, export controls and geopolitical risk. A recent Supreme Court decision replaced broad IEEPA tariffs with a 10% temporary duty under the Trade Act of 1974,...
BIFA Parts with Smart Freight Centre on Emissions Training
The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has partnered with Smart Freight Centre (SFC) to provide emissions‑reporting training for its members. The SFC Academy will offer discounted courses covering the GLEC Framework, market‑based measures, and road‑freight electrification. The collaboration responds to...
Nippon Express and Nikon Sign SAF Agreement
Japanese logistics firm Nippon Express and camera maker Nikon have renewed a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) agreement for air cargo shipments, marking the second consecutive year of collaboration. The deal leverages Nippon’s NX‑GREEN SAF program to issue CO₂‑reduction certificates for...
IoT Fleet Management: Telematics, Tracking and Operational Optimization
Connected technologies are transforming fleet management from basic tracking into a data‑driven discipline that blends telematics, connectivity and analytics. Modern IoT fleet systems use sensors, GNSS and cellular or LPWAN links to stream real‑time vehicle, driver and cargo data to...
Hitachi to Develop Portugal’s Second Translator Tech for ETCS Trains on Legacy Lines
Hitachi Rail has secured a contract from Infraestruturas de Portugal to build the country’s second Specific Transmission Module (STM), a translator that lets ETCS‑equipped trains run on legacy Convel signalling. About 69% of Portugal’s 2,500‑km network still uses Convel, so...
Netherlands Allocates €248 Million to Build Combat Drones for Ukraine
The Netherlands announced a €248 million ($293 million) program to manufacture combat drones for Ukraine, with production split between Dutch and Ukrainian facilities. The move deepens NATO support, provokes a Russian warning, and opens new business for Dutch aerospace firms.
Everyone Has a Role in Growing the Value Chain
Andrew Quincey argues that value in procurement cannot be reduced to efficiency alone; it requires a balanced equilibrium of effectiveness, efficiency, and economy. In his recent Journal of Public Procurement article, he proposes that organizations shift the “why” to the...
Energy Market Outlook Hinges on the Middle East
Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain largely cut off, tightening the physical market and creating a $30‑per‑barrel premium for dated Brent over futures. About 13 million barrels per day are offline, prompting demand‑destruction measures in Asia and likely elsewhere....
The High North Is Not ‘Elsewhere’: Europe’s Arctic Blind Spot
The article argues that Europe’s Arctic is a strategic core, not a peripheral frontier, yet EU policy has lagged behind the region’s contribution to food security, energy, and critical minerals. Recent events—Russia’s war in Ukraine, the full‑scale Yamal LNG shipments...
US Air Force Launches Market Research for New Low-Cost Surveillance Drones
The U.S. Air Force has issued a request for information (RFI) to explore low‑cost, attritable unmanned aerial vehicles that can quickly augment its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) fleet. The RFI outlines minimum performance thresholds—200 km range and 4‑hour loiter—while targeting...
Euroseas Locks in 60% Rate Jump for Feeder Vessel
Euroseas has secured a new time charter for its 3,100‑teu feeder vessel EM Kea at $30,000 per day, a roughly 60% increase over the prior $19,000 rate. The contract runs for a minimum of 36 months starting July 14, 2026, with an optional...
AIR Announces First Flight of Its Heavylift UAS
Israel‑based AIR has completed the maiden flight of its production Cargo‑Heavy Lift unmanned aircraft, a VTOL platform capable of lifting roughly 550 lb. The system, built around next‑generation motors, advanced batteries and mature avionics, is designed for autonomous logistics with minimal...
Perdana Petroleum Wins AHTS Vessel Contracts From Petronas
Perdana Petroleum’s wholly owned unit, Perdana Nautika, received work orders on April 8 to supply two anchor handling tug and supply (AHTS) vessels to Petronas Carigali. The charters span 303 days and 224 days, each with an optional 40‑day extension, and...
Why a Single Bypass Method Isn’t Enough
PrePass® promotes a dual‑method weigh‑station bypass that combines mobile‑app screening with transponder technology. The mobile app expands coverage quickly, while transponders guarantee reliable skips at high‑traffic, staffed sites. Together they enable fleets to capture the full benchmark‑based savings of roughly...
Japan Shipbuilding Slots Vanish Amid Order Surge
Japan’s shipyards are effectively booked through 2029, with a three‑and‑a‑half‑year backlog of orders, driven largely by bulk carriers. The Japan Ship Exporters’ Association reports that almost 75% of the pending work is bulk‑carrier construction, leaving virtually no capacity for new...
US Automakers Fear EU Safety, Emissions Rules Endanger Tariff Deal
The American Automotive Policy Council warned that draft changes to the EU’s Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) rules could block U.S. pickup trucks such as the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F‑150 and Ram 1500 from entering Europe, threatening the 2025 U.S.–EU tariff...
Amazon Launches First Logistics Hub In China
Amazon has opened its first smart warehouse in Shenzhen, branding it as a Global Warehousing and Distribution centre that promises up to a 45% cost reduction for Chinese merchants shipping to the United States. The hub consolidates storage, customs clearance,...
As Modex 2026 Closes, Attention Turns to ProMat 2027
Modex 2026 wrapped up in Atlanta, and the supply‑chain community is already looking ahead to ProMat 2027, which will run April 19‑21, 2027 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The three‑day show promises over 700,000 sq ft of floor space, 1,100 exhibitors, four keynote speeches, 200 educational seminars...
Renault Korea to Produce BEVs From 2028
Renault Korea announced that its Busan plant will begin local production of battery electric vehicles in 2028, following the launch of its first software-defined vehicle in 2027 equipped with AI‑based OpenR Panorama Level 2++ autonomy. The subsidiary plans to introduce a...
Executive Workshop: Modernising Supply Chains with AI
HSO is hosting a "Modernising Supply Chains with AI + Agents" executive workshop on 9 July 2026 at Microsoft’s London campus. The event targets supply‑chain and operations leaders who struggle to locate practical AI use cases—39 % of UK firms report this gap. Over a...
Windracers Selected as Key Supplier in UK Government’s Biggest Ever Drone Package for Ukraine
Windracers has been named one of three primary suppliers in the UK Government’s £752 million (≈$956 million) drone support package for Ukraine, the largest such aid ever announced. The programme will deliver 120,000 drones, bolstering Ukraine’s long‑range operational capability. Windracers’ ULTRA platform,...
Germany: Stadler to Supply 14 TINA Trams to Görlitz & Zwickau
Stadler secured a contract to supply 14 low‑floor TINA trams—eight for Görlitz and six for Zwickau—with commissioning slated for 2028. The order expands the TINA platform to eight European cities, underscoring its growing market footprint. Each 30‑metre vehicle features fully...
The 8 Wastes of Lean: A Practical Guide (With Healthcare Examples)
The article revisits Toyota’s eight‑waste framework, emphasizing that Lean is a tool for improving value—not a scavenger hunt for flaws. It illustrates each waste type with healthcare examples, from costly medication defects to unnecessary patient transport, and highlights the critical...
Iran War: Six Weeks in, How Have Food Prices Changed?
Food prices have risen since the Iran war began, but seasonal planting has limited the immediate impact. Vegetable oils, especially soybean oil, surged to two‑year highs as they act as crude oil substitutes in biofuel production. Grains and oilseeds have...
Panattoni Completes Largest South East Logistics Letting with Crawley Deal
Panattoni, a leading industrial developer, has completed the largest Grade A logistics letting in the South East of England for 2024, leasing several hundred thousand square feet to tenant Crawley. The transaction highlights robust occupier demand for high‑quality distribution space in...
FS Logistix Launches North-South ‘Smart Train’ Pilot
Italian state‑owned freight operator FS Logistix has launched a ‘smart train’ pilot on the 1,000‑kilometre Milan‑Catania corridor. Approximately 700 intermodal wagons have been fitted with PJM’s WaggonTracker, delivering live data on brake performance, load stability, train composition and derailment detection....
UK Could Face Gaps on Supermarket Shelves by Summer if Iran War Continues
UK ministers are preparing for a ‘reasonable worst‑case scenario’ as the Iran‑Israel conflict threatens to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, potentially disrupting carbon‑dioxide supplies essential for food processing. The government’s Exercise Turnstone, run by the Cobra emergency committee, includes...
China’s Renewable Growth Dwarfs World, Contradicting Trump’s Claim
At the World Economic Forum, Trump claimed China makes renewable equipment but doesn’t use it. Reality: Over the past few years, China’s growth in wind and solar usage has exceeded the rest of the world COMBINED. TRUMP'S RHETORIC RARELY MATCHES REALITY. https://t.co/SGRBqnFkj6
Middle East Conflict to Redesign Container Trade Flows
Container lines are rapidly reconfiguring routes to bypass Gulf chokepoints after the Middle East conflict escalated, according to Drewry analysis. Higher war‑risk insurance costs and volatile fuel prices are prompting carriers to seek alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz, Bab...
Collect&Go Pilots Autonomous EV for Urban Grocery Deliveries
Collect&Go, in partnership with Telenet Business, has launched Belgium’s first pilot of an unmanned electric vehicle delivering groceries on public roads in Leuven. The vehicle, remotely operated over a dedicated 5G link and equipped with radar and cameras, will run...
The End of the Hormuz Bargain
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and large volumes of LNG, fertilizer and key feedstocks travel, is no longer a neutral corridor. Escalating Middle‑East tensions and unilateral toll demands have prompted many...
MukAway Partners with MV Kelly
MukAway, a digital material‑management platform, has sealed a partnership with groundworks specialist MV Kelly, extending its reusable‑materials network across the United Kingdom. The deal gives MukAway access to MV Kelly’s hundreds of active residential sites, boosting transaction density and operational reach. MukAway...
Amrize Expands ‘Made in America’ Cement Offering
Amrize has broadened its “Made in America” cement label to four additional plants, bringing the total to nine U.S. facilities that meet the domestic‑sourcing criteria. The new sites include locations in Oklahoma, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio, joining the original five...
‘Rail Freight Should Not Doubt Its Importance’, Says Port of Rotterdam COO
The Port of Rotterdam’s COO, Berte Simons, reaffirmed rail freight’s strategic role and announced major investments to accelerate a modal shift from road and barge. A new railway yard, Maasvlakte Zuid, is scheduled for completion in 2027 to serve the...
Hetauda Cement Halts Production Again Amid Coal Shortages
Hetauda Cement, Nepal’s state‑owned cement producer, has halted operations again because it ran out of coal. The plant requires roughly 120 tons of coal per day, but unpaid supplier invoices have prevented new deliveries. A brief restart in late March proved...