Know What's Happening in Supply Chain
Know What's Happening in Supply Chain
Ningbo Ocean Shipping launches $390M fleet and container expansion
Ningbo Ocean Shipping's board approved a capital program exceeding $390 million to boost its fleet and container inventory. Up to $246 million will fund four 1,900‑TEU feeder vessels, while $145 million is earmarked for acquiring 64,500 TEU of new containers.
Also developing:
U.S. private‑sector firms, led by LIS Technologies, are rebuilding domestic uranium enrichment capacity to bolster national security and defense energy resilience. The move aims to reduce dependence on Russian and Chinese enrichment services while accelerating fuel‑cycle innovation for advanced reactors, including small modular and microreactors. Liebenberg argues that domestic enrichment underpins naval propulsion, research reactors, and future distributed‑power concepts for military installations. Faster private‑sector development mirrors the venture‑backed acceleration seen in the space industry.
china involving itself directly in the business of hormuz strait security is an important unintended consequence of the iran war.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory and the Critical Materials Innovation Hub have teamed up with Amazon to develop AI‑driven recycling of critical minerals from clothing and electronic waste. The DOE is allocating nearly $1 billion, with more than...
Canada Post has launched a government‑mandated transformation that will replace door‑to‑door mail with community mailboxes and close many rural post offices. The plan, currently under union consultation, aims to curb a near‑$1 billion loss and modernize operations. Retailers that rely on...
Logile, Inc. unveiled its Fresh Operations Management suite, an AI‑driven platform that unifies demand forecasting, labor planning, inventory control, and food‑safety compliance for fresh‑food departments. By routing all decisions through a single real‑time demand signal, the system dynamically adjusts production...
china and pakistan release five point peace plan for ending iran war. no mention of us and israel call to restore full passage of strait of hormuz (no iran ability to disrupt/charge tolls). initiative should be welcomed by pretty much everybody.
Delivery failures remain the biggest obstacle to ecommerce growth in Africa, where landmark addresses and cash‑on‑delivery preferences drive high return rates. Venture‑backed fulfillment firms such as Gig Logistics, Loop and Faramove are now using AI‑powered address verification, risk‑scoring APIs and...
A new Hallgarten note warns that Europe’s critical‑minerals strategy is misaligned, focusing on lithium and ESG while overlooking the war‑driven metals tungsten, antimony, tin, rare earths and helium. The report highlights substantial domestic resources in Spain, Portugal, Scandinavia, Cornwall and...
amsight, the Fraunhofer spin‑out specializing in data‑driven quality management for additive manufacturing, launched a new website (www.amsight.de) to highlight its production‑level QMS offering. The site organizes content by concrete use cases—traceable data, powder management, production monitoring, audit‑ready reporting, analytics, and...
We get asked this often. Why is DAT so bearish? We’ve been trying to understand it as well. Here are the blog headlines from the flatbed market over the past few months. It’s doom and gloom. DAT’s data suggests the opposite. The...
The U.S. is falling way behind in uncrewed aerial logistics. I can't count how many of these China has in development now.
Rising e‑grocery sales and aging U.S. cold‑storage facilities are driving a surge in demand for modern, temperature‑controlled warehouses. DHL Supply Chain teamed with real‑estate developer RLCold to build over 5 million square feet of new cold‑storage space across North America, emphasizing...
US customs. China shifts vs content. The reality of the upstream supply chain. Its size, complexity, and tiers of suppliers’ suppliers.
Mesabi Metallics secured a $520 million senior secured credit facility from Valor Mining Credit Partners II, a mining‑focused fund backed by Breakwall Capital and Vitol. The financing supports the final phases of its $2.5 billion direct‑reduction iron ore mine and pellet plant in...
Rising diesel costs, up 44% since the Iran war began, are prompting fresh‑food distributors to tack fuel surcharges onto perishable items such as fruit and Chilean salmon. The added fees are inflating prices for supermarkets, restaurants, hospitals and schools just...
US won’t allow Chinese EVs from Canada to enter its market, President Donald Trump’s ambassador in Ottawa said, after a January deal in which Prime Minister Mark Carney lowered tariffs on those vehicles Huh?https://t.co/vBvBuGKGqK
Hormuz closed==>global economic collapse If you don’t think that affects the US, you need a lesson in reality @thescooter49
Two weeks after Israel’s assault, over one million Lebanese are displaced, intensifying an already fragile economy. Sofra, a digital platform co‑created by the Ministry of Tourism, Siren, CME and Beirut Digital District, matches diaspora donors, local restaurants and shelters to...
China’s semiconductor fabs are entering a triage phase as helium supplies threaten to dry up by late April. The shortage stems from Qatar, which provides roughly one‑third of the world’s helium, halting output after Iranian drone attacks on the Ras...
Vecna Robotics announced CaseFlow Voice, embedding Lucas Systems’ Jennifer voice platform into its CaseFlow case‑picking automation. The hands‑free solution promises up to a 2× boost in throughput and cuts training time by as much as 50%. Designed for high‑mix, high‑volume...
Entries are now open for the 2026 Supply Chain Excellence Awards APAC, with the ceremony scheduled for 1 December 2026 at Singapore’s Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. The awards, entering their 30th year, feature 20 categories ranging from resilience and clean transport to...
Read the latest edition of the Art of Supply newsletter on LinkedIn > Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity with Foreign-Trade Zones https://t.co/JZZxiJcyt9 @NAFTZ https://t.co/SqYWEGtxkH
Conflict in the Gulf has left roughly 1,900 commercial vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, exposing a systemic failure in maritime ownership and regulation. Seafarers like India’s PK Vijay remain on abandoned ships such as the Mahakal without pay,...
Industry Groups Urge Gulf States to Act as 20,000 Seafarers Remain Stranded by Hormuz Crisis. While there is so many stories on oil, an overlooked story. Seafarers, aka, people. https://t.co/xhpMLHLipe
“We use the Strait of Hormuz dramatically less than most.” Secretary @PeteHegseth then called out Britain’s weakened navy from the Pentagon podium: “Last I checked there’s supposed to be a big bad Royal Navy prepared to do that as well.“ https://t.co/lwRiXcdYj6
DHL Freight has introduced GoGreen Plus Flex, a tiered emissions‑reduction program that lets customers choose 10%, 30% or 80% CO₂ cuts on road freight. The model uses a book‑and‑claim system and flexible pricing to broaden access for firms of all...
Hormuz now a pay to pass corridor. From being forced to pay a “toll” to a VLCC attacked and on fire, a day in the maritime mess at the Strait of Hormuz. https://t.co/ENyO92nyeS
“Indiana’s law would require non-U.S. citizens to be proficient in English before applying for a CDL. It will fine CDL schools and businesses $50,000 if they’re caught issuing licenses or employing people without the proper legal status.” https://t.co/YC7txv2LK9
The FDA’s recent “green list” designation has cleared more than 50% of Chinese manufacturers of GLP‑1 obesity drugs, effectively handing China a dominant role in the U.S. supply chain. Critics warn the move could expose American patients to substandard products...
NORD DRIVESYSTEMS will showcase its NXD tupH® surface‑treatment at Seafood Expo 2026 in Barcelona, demonstrating how the technology gives aluminium drive components stainless‑steel‑level corrosion resistance and food‑safe hygiene. The exhibit includes fanless IE5+ synchronous motors, the plug‑and‑play DuoDrive gear‑unit/motor concept, and...
MIT Professional Education launches a five‑day Enterprise Additive Manufacturing program, running April 13‑17, 2026, that blends MIT classroom instruction with hands‑on project work. Led by Professor John Hart, the course guides engineers, operations, and business leaders through the full adoption cycle—from...
Ford Motor Co. announced it will forgo the traditional one‑week summer shutdown at four U.S. plants, aiming to add more than 50,000 F‑Series trucks in 2026. The move follows aluminum supply disruptions and a 34% dip in February dealer inventory.
Sony Japan announced a temporary suspension of orders for its CFexpress and SD memory cards, citing a global semiconductor shortage that threatens to outstrip demand. The halt, effective March 27, 2026, impacts a wide range of professional and consumer cards...
This is something to keep an eye on. Ukraine has been damaging Russian oil export capacity, via drone. The country's seaborne shipments last week were the lowest since 2022, but unclear if it's the start of a longer trend. ...
Sony announced U.S. price increases for its PlayStation 5 lineup, moving the standard PS5 to $649.99, the Digital Edition to $599.99, and the PS5 Pro to $899.99. The hikes, driven by rising memory chip costs, affect millions of gamers and...
The Lao National Assembly approved the first phase of a 562‑km standard‑gauge railway linking Vientiane with Vietnam’s Vung Ang deep‑water port. Phase 1A, a 147‑km stretch from the Thai border to the Laos‑Vietnam frontier, will be built under a 50‑year build‑operate‑transfer...
Palantir Technologies announced a five‑year renewal and expansion of its partnership with Stellantis, adding the Palantir Artificial Intelligence Platform to the automaker’s existing Foundry deployment. The deal deepens Palantir’s foothold in automotive SaaS and comes as the company’s stock slipped...
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, a case that asks whether the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAAA) preempts state negligent‑hiring claims against freight brokers such as C.H. Robinson. Lower courts dismissed the claim, but...
PanOptimization will showcase its PanX simulation and optimization platform for metal additive manufacturing at the RAPID + TCT 2026 trade show in Boston from April 13‑16. The platform targets laser powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition processes, enabling high‑resolution simulation of...
KeyMe Locksmiths announced the rollout of its 8,000th AI‑powered self‑service kiosk, marking a nationwide expansion across major retailers such as Walmart, Kroger and 7‑Eleven. The kiosks have already duplicated 47.2 million keys and serve millions of customers annually. The scale‑up is...
CRP USA will exhibit its Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) solutions using Windform high‑performance composite materials at RAPID + TCT 2026 in Boston from April 14‑16. The showcase, located in Booth 2443‑3 within the America Makes Pavilion, targets aerospace, defense, and...
Ukraine and Bulgaria, together with Romania, will launch a summer 2026 passenger train linking Kyiv, Bucharest and Sofia. The 24‑hour service follows a route through Vinnytsia, Mohyliv‑Podilskyi, Ungheni and Iași, reviving the historic Bulgaria Express corridor that ended in 2014....
Trucking spot rates finish +$.48/mile for March on the daily. They started at $2.70/mile on March 1 and finish off at $3.18/mile. https://t.co/C4NHcEJZyJ
Iran resumed selective control of the Strait of Hormuz, striking a Kuwaiti tanker in Dubai and permitting only flag‑aligned vessels such as COSCO to transit. The move coincides with a U.S. deployment of thousands of Army paratroopers to the Middle...
Saudi state‑owned Folk Maritime announced it is pulling its India‑Gulf service out of the Hormuz corridor and redirecting the two 1,900‑TEU vessels to the Red Sea, focusing on Jeddah and Aqaba. The move follows the effective closure of the Strait...
Why is anyone surprised by this with nearly 30 ship attacks in the Persian Gulf since March 1. Add to that, even US flagged ships feel like they are not getting the attention, let alone protection, they deserve.
With AI, most companies think they bought a factory. They’re still swinging a hammer. That’s Level 1. The companies pulling away in speed, cost and market share are building an AI operating system. That’s Level 2. 👉 https://t.co/31Z0V8EpqB #AIOperatingSystem #DigitalEnablement https://t.co/VUK9fKME6U
The International Chamber of Shipping and the International Transport Workers’ Federation met Gulf State officials to address the plight of roughly 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz due to regional conflict. They discussed an IMO‑backed reporting system for...
China has extended its fuel export ban for another month to April. There is now talk of letting a small amount of fuel out to countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives. But the shipments would be only ~5%-10%...
