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
India's Solar Market Faces Export Hurdles, Pivots to Domestic Power
The episode examines how recent U.S. tariffs—up to 126% countervailing duties—have crippled India’s solar module exports, prompting manufacturers to shift focus to the domestic market and explore new overseas opportunities in Europe, Africa, and Oceania. Analysts explain that while U.S. demand has stalled, emerging markets like Italy, Germany, Australia, and Kenya offer niche demand for non‑Chinese, compliance‑friendly modules, though volumes remain limited. The discussion also highlights India’s push to strengthen its domestic supply chain through Production Linked Incentives, approved‑list mandates, and subsidies, which have driven capacity growth to over 150 GW. Finally, the global outlook notes persistent oversupply and modest price pressures following China’s removal of its PV export tax rebate.
Saudi Pipeline Restores, Red Sea Crude Loads Surge
Iranian coast blockade to lift April’s Red Sea crude loadings to new highs ▶️Saudi pipeline restored at the weekend following Iran attacks, minimising delays in exports from its west coast ▶️Red Sea loadings peaked in March and likely to surge in April...
US Forces Six Iran-Linked Vessels to Reverse Course
Signs of scramble from Iran-linked ships amid US blockade ▶️Falsely flagged US-sanctioned tanker that transited Hormuz earlier on Tuesday makes U-turn in Gulf of Oman ▶️Centcom says it forced six vessels to turn around and ‘re-enter an Iranian port’ in the Gulf...
Supply Chains Go Multimodal as Gulf Ports Expand Truck Facilities
The Middle East crisis has forced container carriers to adopt multimodal logistics, with trucking becoming the critical last‑mile solution. Gulf ports are rapidly expanding truck‑yard capacity, exemplified by Gulftainer’s new 45‑acre yard at Khorfakkan handling up to 1,800 trucks and...
Hormuz Closure Drives US Gulf VLGC Rates Above $100K
Hormuz closure pushes Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGC) rates in US Gulf over $100K per day ▶️Baltic Exchange’s US Gulf-Japan VLGC index is at $111,628 per day, its highest level since January 2024, during the Panama Canal drought crisis ▶️US Gulf-Europe VLGC...
Press Release: C2FO Claims Top IFC Award in Lisbon as Global Funding Surpasses Half-Trillion-Dollar Milestone
C2FO was named the International Finance Corporation’s Best Supply Chain Trade Partner for 2026 at the Global Trade Partners Meeting in Lisbon. The fintech platform announced it has now funded more than half a trillion dollars for suppliers worldwide since...
Iran Conflict Reveals Europe's Vulnerable Chemical Import Reliance
The Iran war is exposing Europe’s dependence on imported chemicals, threatening production of everything from food to painkillers https://t.co/leA9nWEbuu via @martin_marilen @weberalexander @hellococomo https://t.co/XrCPrbmVWo
FCC Grants Netgear Conditional Approval, Lifting U.S. Router Import Ban
The Federal Communications Commission has issued a conditional approval that lets Netgear import new consumer routers, cable modems and gateways into the United States through October 1, 2027. The move lifts the company out of the agency’s foreign‑made router ban...
EU Deforestation Rule Spurs Corporate Supply‑Chain Overhaul, 68 Firms Cite EUDR
A Global Canopy report finds 68 of the world’s most influential commodity firms now reference the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) in their deforestation commitments, prompting wider traceability adoption. Yet only 19 companies meet the bar for comprehensive action, highlighting a...
Enopoly Highlights Operational Systems Driving E‑Commerce Scale, Boosting Orders 3‑fold
Enopoly announced that structured picking workflows and automated sorting can raise a warehouse’s daily order count from 300 to more than 1,000 without expanding space. The company says logistics coordination, supply‑chain management and fulfillment systems are the hidden engines of...
Middle East Turmoil Threatens Worldwide Industrial Supply Chains
The Narrowing Straits: Why the Middle East Crisis is a Fault Line for Global Industry https://t.co/q4PGQdnQp0
India Pushes Local Electronics Components Manufacturing with 75 ECMS Projects Approved
India has approved 75 projects under its Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), committing roughly $6.65 billion in investment. The first round, announced in late March, includes global players such as TDK, Molex and Vishay Intertechnology, with 28 projects already breaking ground....
Chinese Airlines Reshaping Global Aviation Routes
The Geopolitics of the Skies – Why Chinese Carriers are Redrawing the Global Aviation Map https://t.co/0ZmuFlEOCE
Chinese Deep‑Sea Vessels Log 800 Days Mining While Mapping Strategic Waters
Eight Chinese research vessels have logged more than 800 days probing deep‑sea mining sites while also cruising through strategically sensitive ocean corridors. The United States, eyeing polymetallic nodules as a way to cut reliance on China, is racing to approve...
Ford’s Farley Now Calls Chinese OEMs “Devastating” Threat to US
Ford CEO Jim Farley told Fox News that Chinese automakers would be a "devastating" threat to U.S. manufacturing and cybersecurity, warning that their entry would harm the country. At the same time, multiple reports reveal Ford is actively courting Chinese...
Chinese Steelmakers Coordinate Response to EU’s Carbon-Linked Import Imposts
Chinese steelmakers are coordinating a joint response to the EU’s fully implemented Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). They are revising export strategies, compliance systems and pricing models to address new carbon‑price differentials. The EU’s expansion of CBAM to downstream products...
Taiyo Yuden to Raise Prices Across Passive Components From May
Taiyo Yuden announced a price increase for a broad range of passive components effective May 1, 2026. The hike covers multilayer ceramic capacitors, inductors, ferrite beads, RF parts, FBAR/SAW devices, and select aluminum electrolytic capacitors. The company cites rising raw‑material costs...
Carmakers Navigating the Costly and Tricky Transition to Battery Storage Systems
U.S. automakers and battery makers are converting underused EV‑battery plants into factories for stationary energy‑storage systems as EV demand stalls. General Motors, Ford and LG Energy Solution together plan to spend billions on repurposing capacity, but the projected 76 GWh of...
Oracle Expands Bloom Energy Partnership, Securing up to 2.8 GW for AI Data Centers
Oracle announced an expanded master services agreement with Bloom Energy to supply up to 2.8 GW of solid‑oxide fuel‑cell power for its AI and cloud data centers. Bloom Energy’s stock surged nearly 20% on the news, underscoring growing demand for on‑site,...
TD Cowen Predicts Double‑digit Truckload Rate Hikes by Year‑end
TD Cowen report extremely bullish on truckload. Truckload carriers seeing high single rate increases, growing to double digits by year end. https://t.co/ok7KgQ3WwH
New Episode: How Have Global Oil Supply Chains Shifted Around the Iran Conflict?
The latest episode of Energy Technology examines how the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict has reshaped global oil supply chains. With the Strait of Hormuz closed and U.S. blockades on Iranian vessels, Middle Eastern exporters such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE have...
New Episode: How Have Global Oil Supply Chains Shifted Around the Iran Conflict?
The latest Energy Technology episode examines how the US‑Israel‑Iran confrontation has reshaped global oil supply chains. With the Strait of Hormuz closed and U.S. blockades on Iranian tankers, Middle‑East exporters such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE have trimmed output...
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Forecasts Q1 Revenue Near $3 Billion, EPS $1.46
Analysts at Stephens Inc. project J.B. Hunt Transport Services will report first‑quarter revenue of $2.98 billion and earnings per share of $1.46, a 24.8% jump from a year earlier. The outlook suggests a modest beat on both top‑line and bottom‑line expectations,...
Manufacturing, Retail Among UK Sectors at Risk From Shipping Disruption
Cleveland Containers warns that UK businesses face heightened exposure to maritime disruptions, with 85% of freight by weight moving by sea in 2024. Recent Red Sea instability forced container ships to detour around the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks...
Asahi Kasei Postpones Canada Battery Plant as Honda Defers EV Plans
Japanese materials supplier Asahi Kasei has pushed back the start‑up of its Ontario battery separator plant to 2029 or later after Honda Motor deferred its own EV manufacturing plans in the province. The facility, originally slated for mid‑2027, would produce...
Ag Exporters Applaud Appeals Court Ruling, More Sympathetic Maritime Body
A federal appeals court upheld the Federal Maritime Commission’s rule that price quotes far above market rates constitute an unreasonable refusal to provide vessel space. The decision curtails carriers’ practice of rejecting low‑value agricultural shipments during supply‑chain shocks. It signals...
GE Aerospace, HAL Seal First U.S.-India Combat Jet Engine Deal, Targeting F414 Production
GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) announced a technology agreement to jointly develop and manufacture the F414 combat‑rated jet engine in India, marking the first U.S.–India partnership on a fighter‑jet powerplant. The deal also paves the way for a...
Free Bus Travel Scheme Led to Shortage of Buses: Sasikala
Tamil Nadu’s DMK government introduced the Magalir Vidiyal Payanam free‑bus travel scheme for women, which opposition leader V K Sasikala says has overloaded the state’s transport fleet. She alleges the administration failed to procure new buses, creating a statewide shortage compared with...
Guest Post: Why the Union Pacific – Norfolk Southern Merger Could Reshape U.S. Rail
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have filed a joint application with the Surface Transportation Board to merge, creating the first true coast‑to‑coast Class I railroad in the United States. The combined entity would control roughly 466,000 freight cars, dwarfing the...
US Rail: Is the STB Sugaring the Merger Pill with a Move on Switching?
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is revisiting the 40‑year‑old captive‑shipper switching rules just as it evaluates the Union Pacific‑Norfolk Southern merger, the first potential transcontinental railroad consolidation in the United States. The regulator has ordered antitrust‑grade discovery, signaling a tougher...
NEW WEBINAR: AI Rising 2026: The State of Procurement AI
Ardent Partners and Zycus are hosting a webinar on April 30 to unveil the "AI Rising 2026: The State of Procurement AI" report. The session will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping procurement, from data analysis to supplier engagement. Researchers will...
ASML Lifts 2026 Forecast as AI Data‑center Boom Fuels Demand, US Delays Reshape Market
ASML raised its 2026 revenue outlook to €36‑40 billion, citing surging AI chip demand, while U.S. data‑center bottlenecks have delayed half of new projects, sharpening the competitive edge of firms like IREN, Cipher Digital and CoreWeave. The twin trends underscore a...
StirLight Secures £1.25m for Friction Stir Welding Quality Assurance Platform
StirLight has raised £1.25 million (approximately $1.6 million) to fast‑track commercialisation of its StirSense platform, a real‑time quality‑assurance solution for friction stir welding (FSW). The round combines over £750 k in pre‑seed capital from Haatch Ventures, the British Business Bank, D2N2 and angel...
What the Energy Crisis Looks Like Behind the Wheel of an Alberta Tow Truck
Rising diesel prices driven by the Middle East conflict are squeezing Canadian tow‑truck operators, exemplified by Brad Constable in Airdrie, Alberta. Diesel now exceeds $2 CAD per litre (about $1.48 USD), while the federal government’s temporary excise‑tax suspension trims only four cents...
We’re only Seeing the Tip of the Chip-Smuggling Iceberg
Federal prosecutors have charged six individuals in three separate cases for smuggling roughly $2.5 billion worth of advanced AI chips to China, using complex routes through Taiwan, Thailand and other Southeast Asian hubs. The indictments expose how current U.S. export controls...
India Gets Fertilizer Offers Near $1,000 as War Stokes Costs
India’s latest urea tender, the world’s largest nitrogen‑fertilizer buyer, received bids hovering around $1,000 per metric ton. More than two dozen suppliers, including Aramco Trading Co. and Ameropa Asia, submitted offers as the conflict in Iran pushes global fertilizer costs...
Spain Introduces Subsidy for Diesel Locomotives
Spain announced a €3.15 million (≈$3.4 million) subsidy scheme for diesel‑powered rail freight operators, running through 2026. The program pays €15,000 (≈$16,350) per active diesel locomotive to offset soaring fuel costs caused by the oil crisis linked to the war on Iran....
Iran's Supertanker Defies US Blockade Amid Interceptions
Dear @grok truth? A. Iranian sanctioned supertanker crosses Strait of Hormuz, reportedly defying U.S. blockade. Vs B. U.S. naval forces have intercepted eight oil tankers entering or leaving Iranian ports since the start of the blockade, according to a U.S. official -WSJ
How to Save Europe’s Postal Services – or Let Them Die Like Denmark’s
The European Commission is drafting the EU Delivery Act to overhaul a postal system that has served Europe for five centuries. Since the 2008 liberalisation, rural post offices have vanished, workers face job cuts, and wages have fallen, even as...
Bunker Costs only Upside in Transpacific Contract Negotiations
Shipping lines are keeping transpacific contract rates at or below 2025 levels, despite recent index gains, by offering a higher floating bunker surcharge. The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index rose 8% week‑on‑week to $2,552 per FEU on the Shanghai‑US West Coast...
AlixLabs and VDL ETG Projects Announce MoU for Industrialization of APS Patterning
Swedish semiconductor equipment maker AlixLabs AB has signed a memorandum of understanding with VDL ETG Projects to industrialize its Atomic Pitch Splitting (APS) patterning technology. The partnership will move APS from laboratory validation to batch manufacturing and turnkey production lines for chip...
Unlocking the Hidden Power of Strategic Defense Materials with Jon Stibbs, Fastmarkets
Defense systems increasingly rely on four critical metals—cobalt, gallium, germanium and antimony—whose unique properties enable high‑performance engines, advanced sensors, and secure communications. Production and refining of these metals are heavily concentrated, with China controlling most processing and the Democratic Republic...
EU Cracks Down on Chinese Goods Bypassing Tariffs via Belt and Road Initiative
On April 15, 2026, the European Commission announced anti‑dumping duties on glass‑fibre produced by Chinese firms operating in Egypt, Bahrain and Thailand, aiming to block Belt‑and‑Road routes used to evade EU tariffs. The duties, ranging from 11 % to 25.4 % of...
A Terminal in Southern Italy Will Reopen After Almost Two Decades
The Surbo rail freight terminal near Lecce, closed since 2009, will be put up for sale in July and is slated to resume operations by 2027. A survey of 61 regional companies revealed demand for up to 70 trains per...
International Parcel Firm Touches Down at SEGRO Park Axis Near Heathrow
Asendia, the joint venture of La Poste and Swiss Post, has signed a lease for an 81,500 sq ft Grade‑A warehouse at SEGRO Park Axis, a logistics park adjacent to Heathrow Airport. The site will be enlarged by 29,349 sq ft, raising the internal...
New Japan–Philippines Shipping Route Supports Ichijo Komuten
DP World, using CMA CGM’s revised JP8 service, launched a weekly direct shipping lane between Sendai and the Philippines on 18 March, the first regular Japan‑Philippines link in eight years. The route calls at Manila South Harbour and Batangas Integrated Port, enabling...
Armenia Relations with Russia Reach Crisis Point, Continuing Worrying Trend for Moscow
Armenia’s relationship with Moscow has hit a breaking point after Russia imposed stricter import requirements on Armenian goods in early April. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s meeting with Vladimir Putin highlighted Moscow’s displeasure over Yerevan’s growing ties with the United States...
Energy Supply Disruptions From Middle East War to Persist, IEA and IMF Warn
The International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund and World Bank warned that the ongoing Middle East conflict will keep global oil and gas markets disrupted, even if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz normalizes. The shock is described as substantial,...
ERTMS Trackbot Starts Operations in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has launched its first real‑world deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Trackbot on the Northern Lines between Leeuwarden and Harlingen Haven. Developed by Strukton, AMT and No Man Trackwork with Hitachi support, the autonomous robot...
Why Freight Forwarders Are Becoming Essential for Growing E-Commerce Brands
E‑commerce brands that scale internationally quickly outgrow parcel‑only shipping, facing complex customs, carrier coordination, and warehouse handoffs. Freight forwarders step in as single‑point partners, handling mode selection, compliance paperwork, and end‑to‑end visibility. Their services lower landed costs, accelerate transit, and...