Today's Supply Chain Pulse
Iran‑U.S. draft could reopen Hormuz and unlock $300B reconstruction plan
Iranian state media disclosed a 14‑point draft that would see Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days and the United States lift oil sanctions. The agreement also calls for the release of half of Iran’s frozen assets and a $300 billion reconstruction package, contingent on a full U.S. troop withdrawal. Negotiators aim to sign the pact in Switzerland before the G7 summit.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Meesho acquires Kirana Club for $24.6M
Shipping’s Arctic Black Carbon Problem Is Growing Faster Than Regulators Can Respond
New data from the Clean Arctic Alliance shows black carbon emissions from ships operating in the Polar Code area have surged from 259 tonnes in 2019 to 759 tonnes in 2024 – almost a three‑fold increase. The rise mirrors a 37% jump in vessel count and a doubling of total distance sailed in Arctic waters since 2013, driven by melting ice and new routes such as the Northern Sea Route. While the IMO approved a North‑East Atlantic Emission Control Area that will curb sulfur and nitrogen oxides from 2027, it does not address black carbon, a pollutant whose warming potential is up to 1,500 times that of CO₂. A recent MSC Opera trial demonstrated that running an engine on 100% hydrotreated vegetable oil can cut NOx by 16% and lifecycle GHGs by 80%, highlighting that combustion‑quality improvements can deliver immediate emissions reductions.
Survey: Port Leaders Call for $6.7 Billion Cargo Equipment Spending
U.S. ports require a $6.7 billion investment over the next five years to modernize cargo handling equipment, according to a NAWE survey of 25 senior port executives. The funding would cover $2.74 billion for new ship‑to‑shore (STS) cranes, $2.4 billion for large yard...
CGB Breaks Ground for $47M Expansion at Ports of Indiana Mount Vernon
Consolidated Grain and Barge Co. (CGB) broke ground on a $47 million expansion at the Ports of Indiana‑Mount Vernon, the largest investment at the state’s biggest inland port in over two decades. The project will triple the soybean handling capacity, add...
Hyundai Glovis Extends Ocean Cleanup Partnership to 2030, Boosting Plastic Removal Efforts
Hyundai Glovis announced it is extending its collaboration with Dutch nonprofit The Ocean Cleanup until 2030. The logistics giant will add more ADIS cameras to its fleet, building on a program that has already helped collect more than 50,000 tons...
AMD Commits Over $10 B to Taiwan Chip Ecosystem to Boost Enterprise AI
AMD announced a commitment of more than $10 billion to Taiwan’s semiconductor ecosystem, targeting advanced silicon, 2.5D interconnects and packaging that will power its 2026 Helios AI platform. The move aims to secure supply for enterprise data‑center workloads and deepen ties...
AD Ports Group Launches Multimodal Inland Logistics Network
AD Ports Group unveiled a consolidated multimodal inland logistics network that links rail‑connected dry ports, cargo depots and industrial zones across the UAE. The system ties Khalifa Port and Fujairah Terminals to the KEZAD Industry City, creating dual gateways for...
Guest Hannah Hurckes of Boss Lady Logistics on Fallout From the Supreme Court’s Broker Decision; Gaining “Momentum” With Agentic AI;...
In this episode, DC Velocity editors discuss three major logistics developments: the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in Montgomery v. Karib Transport 2 LLC that holds freight brokers liable for negligent hiring, the growing momentum of agentic AI in supply‑chain...
Micron Technology Starts Advanced 1α DRAM Manufacturing in Virginia With $2 Bn Investment
Micron Technology has begun production of its advanced 1α DRAM at the Manassas, Virginia fab, backed by a $2 billion investment. The move makes Micron the only U.S.-based memory maker with cutting‑edge DRAM on domestic soil and is part of a...
The UK Can’t Break Off Critical Mineral Links with China. But It Can Understand Its Vulnerabilities
The United Kingdom cannot fully sever its critical‑mineral links with China, but it can better map the associated risks. A trade deficit of roughly $53 bn and total bilateral trade of about $133 bn underscore the depth of economic interdependence. The UK’s...
China’s Quiet, Pervasive Role in UK Construction Needs to Be Understood
Chinese manufacturers are deeply embedded in UK and European construction supply chains, providing everything from facade panels to modular building units and photovoltaic glass. The article highlights specific examples such as Yuanda Europe’s curtain‑wall work on London sites and CIMC’s...
CMA CGM Q1 Resilient, but Shipping Margins Tighten Amid Geopolitical Turbulence
CMA CGM posted a resilient first‑quarter with revenue of $13.23 billion, essentially flat year‑over‑year, while EBITDA fell 31.6% to $2.11 billion and net income dropped to $250 million. Shipping volumes rose modestly 1.5% to 5.93 million TEU, yet maritime revenue slipped 8.5% as average revenue...
Wingtech Sues Nexperia in Chinese Court over Dutch Government’s Semiconductor Seizure
Wingtech Technology has filed a lawsuit against its subsidiary Nexperia in a Dongguan court, seeking at least 8 billion yuan (≈ $1.1 billion) in damages after the Dutch government seized the chipmaker under its 1952 Goods Availability Act. The case invokes China’s 2021...
Cedar AI, Nexxiot Team on Telematics
Cedar AI and Swiss IoT firm Nexxiot announced a partnership that embeds Nexxiot’s Globehopper sensor gateways into Cedar AI’s Automated Rail Management System (ARMS). The integration streams live GPS location, shock detection, and railcar component health data directly into the...
E-Commerce Giant Flipkart Partners with India Post to Boost Last-Mile Parcel Delivery Service: Details
Flipkart announced a partnership with India’s Department of Posts to use its extensive last‑mile network for parcel delivery across urban, semi‑urban and rural areas. The deal promises faster, OTP‑verified deliveries, real‑time tracking and broader coverage of remote regions. Walmart’s CEO...
Saudi Arabia’s Logistics Giant Would Be More Than a PIF Portfolio Move
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is weighing a merger of its maritime carrier Bahri, Saudi Global Ports and Saudi Railway Co. into a single logistics champion. The move would create an integrated corridor that links sea, rail and inland hubs,...
MTA Issues RFP for Metro-North Coaches
The New York MTA issued an RFP for 252 single‑level Metro‑North coaches, with an optional 337‑car expansion, to replace aging 1980s‑1990s cars that now make up 23% of the fleet. Each car will seat about 100 passengers and feature modern...
Ebola Outbreak in DRC Stumbles on Critical Medical Supply Shortages
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has infected 600 people and killed 139, but a lack of U.S. funding and logistics support has left health workers without essential protective gear. WHO has moved 25 tons of equipment, yet...
Ford Nears Sale of Valencia Plant Space to Geely for European EV Production
Ford is preparing to sell the Body 3 assembly hall at its Valencia plant to Chinese automaker Geely, freeing up unused capacity and giving Geely a foothold for European EV production. The deal would let Geely start building its Galaxy EX2...
Promation, Rockwell Automation and Pacer Precision Logistics Showcase a Connected, GMP-Compliant Radioisotope Supply Chain at SNMMI 2026
Promation, Rockwell Automation, and Pacer Precision Logistics unveiled a fully connected, GMP‑compliant radiopharmaceutical production and delivery system at the SNMMI 2026 meeting. The solution integrates automation, digital execution, and time‑critical logistics into a single workflow, aiming to eliminate the fragmentation...
Robinson Fresh Opens Border Cold-Chain Hub as Mexico Produce Imports Grow
Robinson Fresh, the fresh‑produce arm of C.H. Robinson, opened a 142,600‑square‑foot cold‑chain logistics center in Pharr, Texas, representing a $33 million investment. The hub, located just 4.5 miles from the Pharr‑Reynosa International Bridge, features 69 dock doors, multiple temperature zones and services...
CLdN Shifts Shipping Operations to UK in ‘Natural Evolution’
European shortsea carrier CLdN announced the relocation of its shipping operations from Luxembourg to the United Kingdom, calling the move a "natural evolution." The company, which operates a fleet of 30 cargo ro‑ro vessels, has maintained freight links to the...
EC Approves €66m for German SiC Facility
The European Commission has approved a €288 million (≈$314 million) state‑aid package for two German semiconductor projects. €66 million (≈$72 million) will fund Zadient Materials Europe’s new plant in Bitterfeld to produce high‑purity silicon‑carbide (SiC) source material using a circular gas‑recovery process. The remaining...
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Polysilicon Prices Remain Flat Amid Supply-Demand Rebalancing Signals
Polysilicon prices in China held steady at CNY 35,000‑36,000 per ton ($4,840‑$4,980) as May output of roughly 83,000 metric tons matched wafer operating rates, easing inventory pressure. The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association noted the market is shifting from excess stock...
Inside the Mixed Signals of a U.S. Manufacturing Revival
U.S. manufacturing appears to be in a paradox, with a surge in announced advanced‑plant projects that are 57% costlier than the 10‑year average, yet overall industrial output remains flat. Savills reports only one‑third of the past five years' announcements have...
What Is Dedicated Transportation?
Dedicated transportation, often called DDC, is framed through four lenses: cost stability, risk transfer, operational control, and model clarity. Unlike traditional spot‑market shipping, it prioritizes cost predictability by allowing carriers to flex fleet size as demand fluctuates, avoiding expensive expedited...
Iran Claims More than 90 Vessels Have Transited Strait of Hormuz in the Past Three Days
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that more than 90 vessels have passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past three days, including 35 ships in the last 24 hours. The total count since Tuesday reaches 92 vessels, a...
Fifteen Years of Cargolux Results Reveal Air Cargo’s Uneven New Era
Cargolux posted a net profit of $465 million in 2025, slightly above its $448 million 2024 result, underscoring a robust post‑pandemic baseline for air cargo. The airline’s delayed B777‑8F deliveries, now pushed to 2029, highlight a broader freighter shortage that keeps older...
Divergent Paths in the Race for Autonomous Cargo Aviation
The autonomous cargo aviation race is crystallizing around three distinct models. Pakistan’s Zelta AeroSystems proposes an amphibious VTOL with hybrid or fuel‑cell power and a licensing‑focused strategy for sovereign markets. U.S.‑based Elroy Air is building a certifiable hybrid‑electric VTOL, the...
EIR Says Qatari LNG Outage Will Shift Gas Market to Deficit
Enverus Intelligence Research (EIR) warns that missile‑induced outages at Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG complex will push the global gas market into a structural deficit, forecasting an 8 billion cubic feet per day shortfall by 2026. The outage removes roughly two billion cubic feet...
Surgical CH Robinson: ‘Ready to Do M&A, We’re Going to Do M&A’
C.H. Robinson’s share price surged from $111 in late 2024 to a record $203 earlier this year, settling around $178 and giving the company a $21 billion market value. The AI‑driven freight broker has trimmed its workforce to 11,705 employees, equating...
How Can Semi-Trailers that Cannot Be Lifted Directly by a Crane Be Loaded Onto Trains? Demonstration at Railport Arad
Railport Arad demonstrated a new “clamshell” loading system that enables semi‑trailers lacking crane‑lifting points to be placed onto specialized railcars. The solution, shown at the Club Feroviar conference in Curtici, expands the terminal’s ability to handle a broader range of...
Gulf Tanker Traffic Falls to 5% of Pre‑war Levels as Hormuz Conflict Drives Insurance Costs Sky‑high
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed to roughly 5% of pre‑war volumes, cutting Gulf tanker traffic by about 13% and prompting insurers to raise premiums sharply. Industry leaders warn the disruption could linger as Iran and the U.S....
Starbucks Pulls AI Inventory Tool After Nine Months, Citing Miscounts
Starbucks announced it is discontinuing the AI‑powered "Automated Counting" inventory system it launched with NomadGo in September 2025. The tool, meant to speed up shelf scans, was plagued by mislabeling and counting errors, prompting a return to manual processes.
How European Automotive OEMs Use Independent Market Benchmarks to Defend Margins Under CBAM and EU ETS Pressure
European automotive OEMs are turning to independent market benchmarks to manage the rising carbon costs embedded in steel, aluminium, batteries and other inputs. The EU's Fit for 55 package, CBAM and the EU ETS are shifting emissions pricing from compliance...
Lufthansa Cargo Achieves Dual IATA CEIV Pharma Certification
Lufthansa Cargo announced on 22 May that it has earned two IATA CEIV Pharma certificates – a corporate certificate and an airline certificate – confirming compliance with global standards for shipping time‑ and temperature‑sensitive healthcare products. The corporate certificate expands the...
Boeing Lands 200‑plane China Order, Shares Tumble Nearly 5% as Investors Balk
Boeing confirmed a 200‑aircraft purchase from China, its first major sale to the market in almost a decade. The announcement sent the stock down 4.7% on the day of the reveal and a further 1.4% overnight, as investors had expected...
Hong Kong Firm Targets More Green Methanol From China
Venture Energy, a Hong Kong‑based clean‑fuel trader, has signed a memorandum of understanding with CSSC Science & Technology and China Shipbuilding Trading Co. to establish a long‑term off‑take framework for green methanol. The partnership will expand cooperation across production, procurement,...
India's Steel Ministry Flags Met Coke Shortage, Seeks Withdrawal of Anti-Dumping Duty
India's Ministry of Steel has asked the Finance Ministry to withdraw the provisional anti‑dumping duty on low‑ash metallurgical coke (met‑coke) imposed in December. The ministry says domestic met‑coke supplies are insufficient and prices have surged, raising input costs for steelmakers....
Nordex Starts Türkiye Blade Production
Nordex Group has opened a 130,000‑square‑metre blade factory in Menemen, İzmir, Turkey, capable of producing up to 1,200 rotor blades a year. The plant will initially supply blades for the country’s YEKA‑4 and YEKA‑5 wind projects and is sized to...
Emirates Shipping Line Launches CSX2 Service
Emirates Shipping Line (ESL) announced the launch of CSX2, a weekly container service linking major Chinese ports with the Indian Subcontinent, effective June 11, 2026. The route provides direct connectivity and includes transshipment of Red Sea cargo through Mundra, positioning the Indian...
Dexory Upgrades the Tallest Robot in Warehousing
In this episode, Kevin Lawton interviews Chris Coot of Dexory at Modex 2026 about the company’s newest offering, Dexory View Adapt, which adds AI‑driven root‑cause analysis and proactive alerts to their warehouse‑intelligence platform. The discussion highlights how the platform’s tall...
Russia and China Agree to Build New Cross-Border Railway
During President Putin's visit to Beijing, Russia and China signed an intergovernmental agreement to add a second 1,435‑mm gauge track on the Zabaikalsk‑Manzhouli cross‑border railway. The upgrade is slated to boost corridor capacity by 11 million tonnes and enable roughly 50...
Advent, FedEx, A&R & PPF Launch €7.8bn All-Cash Offer for InPost
Advent International, together with FedEx, A&R Capital and PPF Group, has launched an all‑cash bid of €7.8 billion (about $8.5 billion) to acquire InPost, the Polish‑based parcel‑locker and last‑mile delivery specialist. The offer values InPost at a premium to its current market...
Mitsubishi Electric Develops CNC Error Compensation Digital Twin
Mitsubishi Electric, in partnership with RWTH Aachen University, has created an edge‑based digital‑twin that predicts and compensates CNC machining errors in real time. The compact physical model runs directly on the machine controller, using high‑frequency sensor data to adjust tool...
Geek+ Launches Next-Generation Intelligent Operation Platform (IOP)
Geek+, the Hong Kong‑listed warehouse robotics leader, unveiled its next‑generation Intelligent Operation Platform (IOP), a cloud‑native suite that centralizes AI‑driven analytics, device monitoring, and customizable dashboards. The platform offers flexible deployment—public, private, or on‑premises—with a one‑click launch capability, scaling from...
China Will Have Rare Earths Leverage Over the US for a Long Time
China’s dominance of the rare‑earth market, controlling roughly 80% of global production, will persist for years, giving Beijing strategic leverage over the United States. The U.S. still imports about 70% of its rare‑earths from China, despite recent policy pushes to...
Hormuz Is a Warning for the Indo-Pacific
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to seal the Strait of Hormuz in February, warning it would fire on any vessel attempting passage. Tehran deployed drones, anti‑ship missiles and mines, effectively choking Middle Eastern oil exports and spiking global energy...
Singapore Shipping Magnate Accused by US in Price Fixing Scheme
Singapore shipping magnate Teo Siong Seng has been indicted by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly colluding with executives from four major container manufacturers to fix dry‑container prices. The indictment, filed in January and unsealed this week, alleges a global...
Chalco Agrees to Build Guinea Alumina Plant for $1 Billion
Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. (Chalco) announced a $1 billion investment to build a 1.2‑million‑ton‑per‑year alumina plant in Guinea. The project will be developed through a new entity, with the Guinean government receiving a 5% equity stake at no cost and...
800 Gulf Vessels Stranded as Barnacles, Jellyfish and Soaring Freight Rates Choke Trade
About 800 merchant ships are anchored in the Gulf after February fighting, now battling heavy barnacle, algae and jellyfish growth. Freight costs have jumped four to six times as carriers reroute, prompting emergency measures from Dubai Customs.