Today's Supply Chain Pulse
Strait of Hormuz closure stalls oil price surge despite 100‑day shutdown
The strategic waterway has been shut for 100 days, yet oil prices have not spiked. Prices fell after a U.S.–Iran deal was announced, and analysts warn that any relief to the oil market could take months to materialize.
Also developing:
By the numbers: GIA acquires 30% stake in De Beers' Tracr blockchain platform
Mookhey Quietly Orders Stocktake of NSW Council Fuel Supplies
New South Wales Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has initiated a soft audit of diesel fuel reserves held by state councils. The move comes as councils grapple with rising diesel costs and supply uncertainty that threaten essential services such as waste collection. The audit was disclosed in a bulletin to mayors by Local Government NSW, highlighting the growing fuel crisis across local government. Mookhey’s quiet approach suggests the state is seeking data before committing additional funding or policy measures.
U.S. Navy Deploys Two Destroyers to Clear Mines in Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. Central Command announced that guided‑missile destroyers USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG‑121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG‑112) have entered the Strait of Hormuz to begin a coordinated mine‑clearance operation. The move, confirmed by President Donald Trump, aims to restore safe navigation through...
Japan Adds $4 B to Rapidus R&D, Aiming for 2‑nm Chip Production by 2027
Japan’s industry ministry approved an additional 631.5 billion yen (about $3.96 billion) for Rapidus, bringing total government R&D support to roughly $15 billion. The funding is aimed at accelerating the company’s 2‑nanometre logic‑chip line, slated for mass production in fiscal 2027, and at...
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Warns Tariffs Are Creeping Into Consumer Prices as Stockpiles Dwindle
Amazon chief Andy Jassy told CNBC that the retailer’s early‑year inventory buildup has run out, and tariffs are now showing up in product prices. The comment comes as the U.S. government processes $166 billion in tariff refunds for companies while consumers...
Monday Open Levels, Indicative FX Prices, 13 April 2026
U.S. President Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after US‑Iran negotiations collapsed over the weekend. The move sparked an immediate rise in the U.S. dollar as investors sought safety amid heightened geopolitical risk. Analysts expect crude...
MovitOn - The Next Uber for Delivery
In this episode, Andy Pickering talks with Marco Kawalewski, managing partner of Move It On, about the platform’s vision to become the "next Uber for delivery" by connecting travelers with senders for peer‑to‑peer parcel transport. Marco explains how the service...
Ahead of Russian Gas Ban, Europe Buys Almost All Cargoes From Yamal LNG
Europe bought 97 percent of Yamal LNG cargoes in Q1 2026, receiving 69 of 71 shipments, amounting to 5.07 million tons and $3.33 billion in payments. The bloc’s dependence on Russian gas has surged, with over $230 billion spent on Russian oil and gas imports...
TVL Marine to Launch Hong Kong–Taiwan Service
Taiwanese shipowner TVL Marine will debut a dedicated short‑sea service linking Hong Kong with Taiwan’s major ports, slated to start in June. The route will be operated by a single 1,000‑TEU vessel making a rotation that includes Hong Kong, Keelung,...
Mac Mini and Mac Studio Go Out of Stock – Is It the RAM Crisis or an M5 Refresh?
Apple’s US online store listed high‑RAM Mac mini (32 GB, 64 GB) and Mac Studio (128 GB, 256 GB) configurations as unavailable on 11 April 2026, with no delivery dates. The shortage follows a March removal of the 512 GB RAM option for Mac Studio and a 25% price...
Op-Ed: The War Is Turning Iran Into a Major World Superpower by Pape: If Iranians Control of the Hormuz Continues...
The op‑ed argues that the current Middle‑East conflict is accelerating Iran’s rise as a strategic superpower, chiefly through its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz and a potential nuclear breakthrough. Citing political scientist Robert Pape, the author notes Iran could...
Trump Pitches Iran Blockade as Boon to U.S. Oil
President Trump used the Iran‑related Strait of Hormuz blockade as a sales pitch, urging nations—especially China—to buy more U.S. oil. He claimed empty tankers were heading to American ports, but the United States exports only about 3.5‑4.5 million barrels of crude...
The Islamabad Collapse: What the US-Iran Negotiation Failure Means for Gulf Stability and Global Supply Chains
Negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad collapsed, leaving the Strait of Hormuz effectively sealed by both sides. Tehran refused to abandon its nuclear enrichment program and to relinquish control of the waterway, while Washington demanded total dismantlement...
Botched IT Upgrade Ended Liquor Sales for the Entire State of Mississippi
Mississippi’s single state‑run liquor warehouse halted operations after a contractor installed an incompatible IT system and removed conveyor belts without staffing replacements. The glitch left 171,190 orders pending, a 21.7% drop from early February, and forced restaurants and stores to...
SYNAOS Scales NA Operations as Demand for Interoperable Intralogistics Accelerates
SYNAOS, a provider of intralogistics orchestration software, announced a major expansion of its North American operations to meet rising demand for vendor‑agnostic automation. The move follows its collaboration with Rockwell Automation and OTTO Motors to advance the VDA 5050 standard for mixed‑fleet...
Procurement Under Pressure: Disruption, AI, and the New Operating Model
Procurement leaders are confronting relentless disruption that now includes supply shortages, tariffs, cyber risk and operational failures, while business expectations have expanded beyond cost control to growth and risk mitigation. A recent Art of Procurement podcast, featuring AlixPartners’ Jon Jensen...
Bangladesh’s Three‑Week Fuel Shortage Strains Transport, Power and Fisheries for 170 Million
Bangladesh is grappling with a three‑week fuel shortage that has forced rationing, early shop closures and a hybrid schooling plan, affecting an estimated 170 million residents. The crisis has immobilised more than 1,000 trawlers, left over 100,000 fishermen idle and put...
Midea Launches $1.4 B Liquid‑cooling Hub to Power AI Data Centers
Midea Building Technology, a subsidiary of Midea Group, announced the start of a liquid‑cooling manufacturing hub with total investment exceeding 10 billion yuan (about $1.4 billion). The facility aims to supply end‑to‑end cooling solutions for high‑density AI compute centers, traditional data centers...
MODEX 2026: ZS Robotics Brings Unique ASRS to Address Warehouse Costs Vs. Safety and Ease-of-Use
At MODEX 2026, ZS Robotics showcased its flagship ZS‑H150 four‑way shuttle and introduced the lightweight ZS‑H125, the world’s first 20‑wheeled four‑way pallet shuttle, to the U.S. market. The company highlighted that more than 1,000 shuttles are already operating worldwide, serving...
US‑Iran Islamabad Talks Collapse, Leaving Emerging‑Market Oil Shock
U.S. Vice President JD Vance led a 21‑hour delegation to Islamabad that ended without an agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme. The failure leaves the fragile cease‑fire and the strategic Strait of Hormuz in limbo, threatening oil‑price stability for emerging markets.
Tariff Refunds Flow to Companies While Consumers Shoulder $231 Billion Cost
The U.S. Supreme Court ordered refunds of up to $170 billion for roughly 330,000 importers after striking down Trump‑era tariffs, yet studies show American shoppers have already absorbed $231 billion in price hikes. The gap highlights a widening cost burden on households...
MSC Extends Emergency Fuel Surcharge Amid Global Fuel Market Disruption
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) announced it will keep its Emergency Fuel Surcharge (EFS) unchanged but extend it through April 30 2026, citing ongoing turbulence in the global marine fuel market tied to recent Middle East developments. The surcharge covers cargo originating from...
Six Warehouse Fires Reported in Recent Days
Are y’all following those warehouse fires.. there were 6 so far.. over the past few days..
Trump Threatens Hormuz Blockade, Demands Direct Call
Trump pula nak block Strait of Hormuz yg dah di blocked. We need to have a phone call with Trump, otherwise no one’s getting oil.
Buildout Continues of Emerging Category of CO2 Carriers for CCS
A new class of purpose‑built CO₂ carrier ships is scaling to meet the logistics demand of carbon capture and storage (CCS). Northern Lights, a partnership of Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies, launched its first commercial vessel in 2025 and plans to...
US Oil Export Shift Requires Double Tanker Fleet, Years
Yes, it appears supertankers are heading to the US to get oil. The US exports 5 million barrels a day. So, the US has it. BUT.... The majority of Middle Eastern crude oil goes to Asia. That is a 21-day trip from the...
Trump Announces Naval Blockade Of Iran, Strait of Hormuz
Former President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, directing the U.S. Navy to intercept Iranian‑linked vessels carrying oil and Chinese weapons. The move marks a dramatic shift from previous U.S. policy that allowed such traffic...
Trump Announces Blockade of Strait of Hormuz as Vance Leaves Pakistan Talks with No Deal. How Financial Markets Are Reacting.
President Donald Trump announced an immediate U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to pressure Iran. The move sparked a sharp rise in crude oil prices while equity and cryptocurrency markets fell, with S&P 500 futures and Bitcoin both...
Trucking Spot Rates Dip Post‑Easter, Market Remains Strong
We expect trucking spot rates to drop this week, as demand has slightly cooled post Easter. Rejection rates doing to their lowest levels since Early Feb at 13.44%. This is still a strong market, just cooled from where we were before Easter. Note:...
All Tanker Types Mapped: Dirty, Clean, Gas Carriers
Since folks seem to love tanker maps, here's ALL the tankers, courtesy of @Vortexa. Blue are dirty tankers (crude, fuel oil, etc.), white are clean product tankers (gasoline, diesel, etc.) and orange are gas carriers (LNG, LPG, etc.) https://t.co/FNC46mr4l2
Seven Million Barrels a Day Still Isn’t Enough: Why Saudi Arabia’s Pipeline Fix Won’t Solve the Hormuz Crisis
Saudi Arabia announced that its East‑West pipeline is back to full capacity of roughly seven million barrels per day, and the Manifa field has resumed its 300,000‑barrel‑per‑day output, while the Khurais field remains under repair. The pipeline, which routes crude...
Hormuz Blockade Threatens Oil Supply, Markets Await China or Trump
Strait of Hormuz blockade is live 🚢❌ 20% of world oil = gone 🛢️ Equities gap down 📉 Oil gap up 📈 $115 WTI on the table 🎯 One question matters: does China blink first or does Trump? 🇨🇳🇺🇸 Trade...
US Misunderstands Existential Threat to China, Russia, Iran Supply Chains
100%. Virtually no one in US seems to understand a) This is existential to China & Russia as well as Iran b) What that potentially implies for global supply chains
India Likely to Import 20.82 Million Tonnes of LPG in FY27
India’s Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell projects LPG consumption of 34.69 million tonnes in FY27, a 4.5% year‑on‑year rise. To meet this demand, the country is expected to import about 20.82 million tonnes, representing roughly 60% of total use. Imports are heavily...
US‑Iran Deadlock Threatens Strait, Awaiting First Attack
So the US and Iran can't come to an agreement, and the solution is to ensure no traffic makes it through the Strait. We're just waiting for a vessel to be attacked by either side and the ceasefire will truly fall...
Trump Vows to Double Blockade if Houthis Block Strait
Don’t worry, folks—if the Houthis block the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Trump will just double blockade it.
BBC: Trump Says US to ‘Blockade’ Strait of Hormuz After Talks Failed over Iran’s ‘Nuclear Ambitions’
Former President Donald Trump announced that the United States will impose a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after diplomatic talks with Iran collapsed over its nuclear program. The statement came amid an escalating US‑Israel‑Iran conflict that has already...
Geopolitics Revolves Around Monopoly Power at Global Choke Points
A couple of observations about Trump’s blockade threat. Whether Iran and Trump threatening the Strait of Hormuz, power flows through choke points, aka monopolies. Same with China and rare earths, and the U.S. and the dollar. A lot of geopolitics is...
Hormuz Blockade Threatens US Humiliation and Warship Losses
Attempting a Hormuz blockade will be a humiliating defeat for the US Iranian drones and anti-ship ballistic missiles will potentially damage or destroy US warships #StraitOfHormuz #OilMarkets #EnergySecurity #NavalWarfare #Geopolitics #MiddleEast #GlobalRisk #EnergyCrisis #ShippingLanes #MilitaryStrategy
Mutares Raises $115M and Buys Two Magna Divisions to Accelerate US Expansion
Munich‑based private‑equity firm Mutares completed a €105 million ($115 million) rights issue and bought Magna’s European lighting and car‑top systems divisions, together expected to generate $320 million in 2025 revenue. The capital will fund a second U.S. office and a €4.8 billion ($5.2 billion) acquisition...
Blocking Toll‑Paid Ships Could Pressure Iran, Yet Payer Unclear
Technically, blockading ships that have paid the toll to Iran/IRGC IS the correct way to force Tehran to the negotiating table. But how is such a threat implemented? It is unlikely that shipping companies are paying that toll (the importer...
Key US Maritime Dilemmas in Gulf and Red Sea
Three questions: 1) Would the US stop Chinese-flagged vessels going in-and-out the Persian Gulf? And if the tankers don’t stop? 2) What’s the plan if the Houthis of Yemen blockade the Bab al-Mandeb? 3) Would the U.S. stop Iranian tankers...
Fuel Blockades Shut Ireland’s Only Refinery, Triggering Nationwide Pump Shortages
Protesters blocked access to Whitegate, Ireland’s sole oil refinery, prompting police to clear the site and shut down the plant for the fifth day. The disruption has left roughly 1,000 of the country’s 1,600 service stations empty and forced major...
Hormuz Strait: Global Trade Can't Be Held Hostage
I know Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, FM of Singapore. He is a brilliant man. Listen to what he says. Strait of Hormuz cannot be held hostage by Iran. ALL global trade depends on it.
China’s EVE Energy Announces Massive 110 GWh Battery Capacity
A must-follow: @RonStoop1 His Latest Global Cleantech Tracker is staggering: "🔋 The volumes baffle the mind: China goes big with no less than 110 GWh of manufacturing capacity announced by a single company, EVE Energy (!)" #alwaysbecharging #battchat https://t.co/qV7HTBLBgt https://t.co/ZTcDaogWqs
Let Texans Choose Power Sources Over Uniform Regulation
"To help Texas stay ahead, customers should be able to bring their own power or buy it from third parties rather than forcing every project through the same regulatory process" https://t.co/jXRHk6ojV6 https://t.co/SmAYls8D4P
Naval Blockade Beats Bomb Threats in Iran Oil Standoff
I’m not saying this is a GOOD thing, but the situation was never going to be resolved while IRAN could still get its oil out and no one else could. A naval blockade is much more effective than threatening to...
US Oil Imports Make Gulf Blockade Self‑inflicted Disaster
The US is a net importer of oil, and expanding exports + blockading the Persian Gulf is hilariously catastrophic for the US consumer.
Freeing Stuck Vessels Key to Hormuz Security
Strait of Hormuz. Achieve maritime security. First the ships stuck in the Strait must leave. Where are the ships waiting to enter. Resetting is not like flipping a light switch.
Satirical Trump Threat Sparks Dark Mall Thriller
In light of this tweet by Trump, read the story below: President Trump: Effective immediately, united states navy will begin process of blockading any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, strait of hormuz.
Blockade Targets All Vessels, Not Just Iranian Ships
This is a change of tactics. Not sure why a blockade would be directed against "all ships" and not just Iranian ships or those that loaded or unloaded in Iranian ports.