Know What's Happening in Supply Chain
Know What's Happening in Supply Chain
Iranian drone strikes hit Kuwait’s oil infrastructure ahead of OPEC+ talks
Iranian drones struck Kuwait’s oil infrastructure, causing severe material damage to petrochemical plants, a government office complex and desalination facilities, just hours before an OPEC+ meeting where members agreed in principle to raise output by 206,000 barrels per day in May.
Also developing:
Dobbe Transport, a Dutch logistics firm with over a hundred trucks, has added a Mercedes‑Benz eActros 600 long‑haul electric truck to its Benelux fleet, joining an earlier eActros 300. The 6×2 flatbed offers roughly 500 km range and is slated to log about 125,000 km of CO₂‑free mileage annually. The company plans two more eActros tractors and is building a charging hub that will eventually support up to 16 trucks. These moves position Dobby ahead of the EU road emissions trading system expected in 2027.
The Iran war has turned the olive‑oil supply chain into a geopolitical liability, adding fuel‑price pressure, a 15% EU tariff and Red Sea shipping disruptions. The United States, which imports over 95% of its 380,000‑ton annual consumption, faces higher freight...
Nova Chemicals announced the first commercial order of its Syndigo rPE‑IN3 recycled polyethylene, shipping roughly 200,000 pounds to Sigma Plastics in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The resin will be used in Sigma’s Sustain360 stretch‑film line for retailers and distribution centers, marking a milestone...
Modern warehouses operate 24/7, making any downtime costly. Siemens reports unplanned downtime in fast‑moving consumer goods averages $36,000 per hour and is rising. Neglected industrial cleaning—dust on conveyors, motors, and high‑level surfaces—can trigger equipment failures, fire hazards, and product contamination,...
The United States’ de‑facto oil blockade has triggered prolonged electricity blackouts across Cuba, crippling hospitals and forcing the Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM) to suspend eight of its ten active clinical trials. Supply shortages and a collapsed transport network are...
🚨US SHIPS TRAPPED🚨 Reminder for @POTUS @SecWar @SecDuffy @CENTCOM @centcomcdr @US5thFleet @CMF_Bahrain @DOTMARAD @FMC_gov @MSCSealift that 5 US-flagged ships and the crews remain in the Persian Gulf after the @USNavy and @USCG pulled out their forces before the start of...
Orleans International has filed a new complaint with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission accusing Hapag‑Lloyd of imposing $3,600 per TEU detention and demurrage (D&D) charges during the pandemic‑driven port congestion. The importer alleges that Hapag‑Lloyd’s containers were stacked in a...
Transport Infrastructure Ireland has qualified five archaeological firms to bid on the first contract for Dublin’s MetroLink, covering the northern stretch from Estuary to Fosterstown. The qualification system remains open, allowing additional firms to join as the project progresses. Archaeological...
Everyone keeps talking about intermittency. Let me show you two kinds. Wind and solar output varies hourly. It follows weather patterns that we can forecast days in advance. It has a well-understood distribution. We have storage, interconnection, demand response, and decades...
The Inflation Reduction Act’s solar investment tax credit has been tightened by H.R. 1, limiting eligible projects to those that start construction by July 4 2026 and finish within four years. The law also expands eligibility to require detailed traceability, ownership disclosure, and...
Agibot announced the production of its 10,000th humanoid robot, a milestone that underscores a rapid shift from niche pilots to large‑scale commercial deployment. The company accelerated production from 5,000 to 10,000 units in just three months, a four‑fold speed increase...
Lufthansa Cargo unveiled its summer freighter schedule, adding a second weekly transpacific flight from Ho Chi Minh via Shanghai to Los Angeles and reinstating a weekly service to Delhi, bringing Indian connections to six per week. The carrier also boosted its North American...
Coop is converting its Uppland regional grocery logistics to fully electric vehicles, covering 23 stores and roughly 659,000 kilometres of routes each year. Partnering with Swedish tech firm Einride, the transition aims for completion by the first half of 2026....
SNCF is advancing the sale of up to 49 % of Rail Logistics Europe (RLE), valued at roughly €800 million (about $860 million), with Lazard and Indosuez handling the process. The stake covers six freight subsidiaries and is slated for completion by 2027....
A 7‑hour outage of China's DeepSeek AI chatbot and escalating US‑Iran tensions are prompting U.S. logistics firms to reassess digital tools and freight flows, as airports grapple with operational slowdowns. The twin shocks highlight vulnerabilities in AI‑driven supply‑chain platforms and...
U.S. lawmakers have introduced the Critical Minerals Investment Tax Modernization Act, which would lift the depletion allowance for domestically mined rare earth elements and scandium from 14% to 22%. The move is a direct response to Beijing’s April 2025 export...
Lockheed Martin announced it will increase annual production of its Precision Strike Missile (PSM) from roughly 150 units to more than 600 per year under a newly approved Department of Defense framework. The move, driven by heightened demand for high‑speed,...
Sony announced a $150 price increase for its PS5 Pro console as AI‑driven demand for DRAM pushes memory chip costs up 80‑90%. Industry leaders warn the resulting "RAMageddon" could cripple product timelines through 2028.
JET FUEL prices have more than doubled since the onset of the war between the United States, Israel and Iran. Jet fuel swaps in Singapore are trading at more than $200 per barrel up from just over $90 before the...
The author warns that a new recession is looming as U.S. support for Israel escalates tensions in the Middle East. In retaliation, Iran and allied groups could choke oil shipments through the Persian Gulf, tightening global energy markets. The resulting...
S&P Global Ratings flagged Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as the most exposed South Asian economies to soaring oil prices that have surged toward $200 a barrel. The warning comes as the region grapples with fuel‑rationing measures, soaring inflation and...
Rising hostilities in the Middle East have constricted crude oil and LNG flows, prompting analysts to warn of tighter supplies and higher prices. Airlines and downstream users face inventory stress as the conflict threatens key shipping lanes, while commodity traders...
“If you’re sitting in Asia, going through this again, it’s possible you change your strategy long term — rely more on coal for longer, build out your renewables faster and reduce your exposure to natural gas.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-29/iran-war-s-gas-supply-shock-pushes-top-consumers-back-to-coal
On March 11, 2026 a Flirt test train successfully traversed Slovenia’s new 27.7‑km Divača–Koper double‑track line, proving the route’s operational readiness. The line, 75 % of which runs through tunnels—including a 6.7‑km longest tunnel—replaces the single‑track bottleneck and cuts the Divača‑Koper...
Spain’s infrastructure manager Adif is seeking a six‑year operator for the Jundiz Intermodal Terminal, the country’s first facility on the TEN‑T Atlantic Corridor with standard gauge. The minimum bid is about €1.4 million (≈$1.5 million), with a possible extension of up to...
New Mangalore Port will receive the Aurora tanker carrying Iranian LPG, marking India’s first post‑sanctions import from Tehran. The cargo, slated for Confidence Petroleum, follows a temporary U.S. suspension of sanctions on Iranian petroleum exports. Additional LPG shipments from Hellas...
GXO Logistics has been selected by NHS England to manage the supply and distribution of home testing kits for the national bowel cancer screening programme, specifically the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT). The logistics firm will act as a managed service...
Laude Smart Intermodal will launch a regular intermodal service between Duisburg, Germany and southern‑central Poland in April, deploying its own Iveco truck fleet for last‑mile delivery. The dedicated fleet allows containers to carry up to 30 tonnes, roughly 25% more than...
The push to decarbonize supply chains has shifted from values‑based pledges to cost‑saving and risk‑management imperatives. After a surge of actions in 2022‑23, Secaro data show completed decarbonization steps dropped 53% in 2025 as legislation tightened and companies demand clear...
The AI boom has triggered a severe DRAM shortage, pushing conventional memory prices up 90% in early 2026 and straining startup budgets. Startups typically allocate 15‑25% of hardware spend to memory, and the scarcity is causing longer lead times and...
Italy and Hungary have signed an agreement to create a customs corridor that shifts all clearance procedures for cargo arriving at the port of Trieste onto Hungarian territory. The move aims to speed up processing, reduce paperwork and ease congestion...
Air Cargo News released its Spring 2026 edition, spotlighting horse transport, the Indian market outlook, freighter sector performance, and e‑commerce logistics. The issue also features a special report on the IATA World Cargo Symposium, covering South America’s air‑freight trends, digitalisation, and...
In this episode, host Kevin Lawton talks with Ben Hull, Director of Sales at Item (pronounced "EET-em"), about the company's modular T-slot aluminum extrusion system—often likened to industrial Legos—that lets warehouses and manufacturers quickly design and reconfigure workstations, carts, and...
Electric vehicles rely heavily on Gulf‑sourced aluminum, but the U.S.–Iran conflict has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, forcing major smelters in Bahrain and Qatar to cut or halt output. Toyota and Nissan have already trimmed production by roughly 40,000 units,...
Al Taweelah smelter damage raises new risks for UAE aluminium supply, bauxite flows, and Gulf freight markets. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/al-taweelah-smelter-damage-raises-new.html
US Dollar's Advance Continues but Verbal Threats Lift the Yen: The Middle East war rages on. The Houthis have entered the fray and there is risk that it shuts the Bab El-Mandeb Strait. Aluminum and steel facilities have been reportedly...
Alstom has secured a €915 million (≈$1 billion) contract to deliver Belgrade’s first fully automated metro line, Line 1, spanning 15 kilometres with 15 stations, 11 of which are underground. The turnkey deal includes 32 driverless Metropolis three‑car trains, Urbalis CBTC signalling, power supply,...
"With a cutoff in shipments imminent, Asian countries, the biggest importers of liquefied natural gas from the Middle East, are already burning more coal and reducing consumption." https://t.co/U74LIL7DHC "the entire concept of L.N.G. being a reliable fuel is undermined," 😔 https://t.co/mYeNrKdiYC
"WTO reform talks collapse over US-Brazil standoff" https://t.co/mWuUR2PKbn "The failure to extend the moratorium opened the door to countries to impose tariffs on digital services." https://t.co/uEGCJ2r00s
Milan leveraged the 2026 Winter Olympics as a mobility stress test, accelerating public‑transport investments to ease road congestion and integrate northern Italian provinces into the European rail network. The city transformed the Porta Romana rail yard into an Olympic Village...
The CSCL Indian Ocean and CSCL Arctic Ocean of @COSCOSHIPPING have exited the Strait through the Aya-TOLL-ah booth and are heading into the Gulf of Oman. They were turned around on 27 March but able to exit on 30 March. https://t.co/TzdI2Ra790
#tradeXpresso: new econometric evidence found that an increase in #Mode5Services increase agricultural exports: https://t.co/iXzkgkHHzs One day, multilateral trade rules could evolve to follow new business realities: https://t.co/oZ5tuJYjhk
Maritime Transport has launched a nationwide fleet of electric heavy‑goods vehicles (eHGVs) in the UK, initially focusing on rail‑served depots in Wakefield and Birmingham. The strategy pairs zero‑emission trucks with existing rail freight to handle long‑haul legs, leaving short, predictable...
Plenty of analysis of the Gulf's two bypass pipelines - but as Hormuz remains near-shut, what more can the GCC do to avoid the Strait and narrow? https://t.co/6EwDOmaObS @TheNationalNews
COLUMN: Five weeks into the Third Gulf War, the math of oil-barrel counting is intractable: The world is short of the black stuff. Enter demand destruction. @Opinion https://t.co/Y2DPUcHM8s
Effective May 1, 2026, China’s revised Maritime Law overturns the long‑standing rule that consignees bear the cost of unclaimed cargo. Article 93 now assigns all port charges, demurrage, storage, disposal and legal fees to the contractual shipper—the party that booked the...
SmartRay has launched the ECCO X 050G, a new 3D sensor that extends the ECCO X family to handle highly reflective and transparent surfaces such as glass. The compact unit delivers up to 40 kHz scan rates, 2.2‑2.9 µm vertical resolution and 163 million points...
Saudi Arabian Railways (SAR) launched a 1,700‑kilometre freight corridor linking the Gulf ports of Dammam, Jubail and King Fahd to the Jordanian border at Al‑Haditha. Each train will haul more than 400 containers, cutting transit times by roughly half compared...
High-Precision Industrial #Robot Built for the Future of Smart Factories by @XueJia24682 #SupplyChain #Automation #Logistics https://t.co/OBNMNwnl9U
Former CENTCOM commander says the US can & will open Hormuz I think he's taking the narrowest military view He ignores the force of politics, markets & insurers to limit Trump's options on time & risk. 👇 https://t.co/Fw6ibZ5qLW https://t.co/shLc2VcgAj
