Today's Supply Chain Pulse
50Hertz and Elia launch €752 million offshore HV cable logistics tender
German TSO 50Hertz and Belgian TSO Elia have issued a joint €752 million procurement for offshore high‑voltage cable repair logistics and jointing services. The framework spans multi‑year call‑off contracts from November 2027 to October 2035 and is divided into six lots, including three repair‑logistics lots worth €110 million each.
Also developing:
By the numbers: GIA acquires 30% stake in De Beers' Tracr blockchain platform
Australia Turns to China for Emergency Jet Fuel
Australia has secured three emergency jet‑fuel shipments from China after a fire forced one of its two refineries offline. The imports arrive amid a worldwide jet‑fuel shortage that is tightening supplies and driving up prices. Officials say additional deliveries are expected in the coming months to keep domestic aviation operations running. The move underscores Australia’s urgent need to shore up its fuel inventory while its remaining refinery ramps up capacity.
High Prices Ease Jet Fuel Supply Outlook for Europe’s Airlines
European airlines say jet‑fuel shortages are unlikely despite the Strait of Hormuz closure. Ryanair and easyJet report stable supplies sourced from West Africa, the Americas and Norway. Wizz Air and TUI note that soaring fuel prices have spurred additional imports from...
Canada Breaks Ground on $2 B Matawinie Graphite Mine, Targeting EV Battery Supply
Prime Minister Mark Carney officially broke ground on the Matawinie graphite mine in Quebec, a $2 billion project that will produce over 106,000 tonnes of natural graphite a year. Backed by a $335 million Canadian‑to‑U.S. financing package and a seven‑year, 30,000‑tonne offtake...
Zipline Dominates Drone Deliveries, Saving 17,000 Lives Annually
This is how your next Chipotle burrito, online package, and medical prescription will be delivered. And it might be my favorite company in all of robotics right now. Zipline has done over 2 million autonomous drone deliveries to date. That's more than every...
DPRTE Scotland Delivers an Astounding First Edition
The inaugural DPRTE Scottish Defence Procurement & Supply Chain Summit in Glasgow gathered defence buyers, prime contractors, SMEs and policymakers, marking the first Scotland‑specific edition of the long‑running UK defence procurement forum. Attendees heard from senior officials, including the MoD’s...
UK-Australia Manufacturing Pilot Targets Faster AUKUS Submarine Sustainment
Babcock International and Truflo Marine have launched a UK‑Australia pilot to produce low‑complexity submarine valve components at Truflo’s Century Engineering facility in Adelaide, with engineering oversight, quality assurance and validation provided from the UK over an 18‑month period. The initiative...
Walmart Delivery Can Now Reach 60 Percent of Americans in Under 30 Minutes
Walmart announced that its delivery network can now reach 60 percent of U.S. households in 30 minutes or less, leveraging its extensive store footprint. Store‑based delivery sales have more than doubled over the past two years, making sub‑hour fulfillment its fastest‑growing...
Niger Cancels 58‑Year French Uranium Concession at Arlit, Threatening Global Fuel Supply
Niger's military government formally revoked the French‑run Arlit uranium concession on May 18, 2026, ending a partnership that began in 1968. The decision removes a source that has supplied up to 7% of worldwide uranium, raising concerns over supply security...
Broker Liability Ruling: Carriers, Brokers, Analysts Weigh In
The U.S. Supreme Court broadened liability for freight brokers that fail to vet drivers, a ruling that tilts the market toward large, asset‑based carriers with deep financial resources. Schneider National has already slashed its broker network by 76%, while RXO...
ILWU Chief Slams ‘Foreign Shipping Companies’ Ahead of Contract Expiration
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) warned West Coast employers, dominated by foreign shipping firms, that the union’s coast‑wide contract expires in 2028. ILWU President Bobby Olvera accused these carriers of prioritizing overseas profit over local port communities. The...
People News: OmniTRAX, Conrail
OmniTRAX announced the appointment of Phillip Hoskins as Vice President of Transload, a move tied to a $100 million investment from its real‑estate affiliate to build a national network of industrial outdoor storage (IOS) and multimodal logistics hubs. The new hubs...
Taiwan Is Cracking Down on AI Chip Smuggling
Taiwanese prosecutors are seeking detention of three individuals accused of forging paperwork to ship about 50 Super Micro servers, equipped with Nvidia GPUs, to China. The hardware falls under U.S. export restrictions introduced in 2022 to curb China’s access to...
Freight Fraud Has Gone Corporate
Freight fraud is accelerating, moving from opportunistic theft to organized, technology‑enabled identity deception. Cargo theft incidents are rising double‑digit year over year, with average losses now exceeding $200,000 per incident. Artificial intelligence is a force multiplier, allowing fraudsters to produce...
April Trailer Orders Defy Seasonal Expectations Again
U.S. trailer orders surged in April, with ACT Research reporting a 126% year‑over‑year increase to 19,400 units and FTR Transportation Intelligence noting a 100% rise to 19,953 units. Both sources showed sequential gains, defying the usual spring slowdown that typically...
NTN Starts China Push for EV Bearing Production
NTN announced the start of prototype production for its resin‑mold insulated bearings in China, targeting e‑axle applications for electric and hybrid vehicles. The company previously began mass production in Japan in 2025 and now plans a staged rollout in China...
Seeing High Turnover for Supply Chain Jobs? Start by Fixing Your Hiring Process
Supply chain turnover is soaring—26‑28% in manufacturing and nearly 49% in warehousing—well above the national average. The article argues that most early exits stem from hiring missteps rather than post‑hire programs. Wrong skills, cultural misfit, and unrealistic job expectations create...
Kyrgyzstan Begins $430mn Coal Project Backed by China
Kyrgyzstan has launched a $430 million coal logistics complex in the Osh region, backed by Chinese partner Xinjiang Dacheng Yuanlong Technology and state‑owned Kyrgyzkomur. The infrastructure, beginning with a 7.7‑km conveyor, aims to boost coal transport capacity to 10 million tonnes annually...
ADG 5/21: Price Check
The U.S. Justice Department has charged four major shipping‑container manufacturers—including Hong Kong‑based Singamas and China’s CIMC—accusing them of a multi‑year price‑fixing conspiracy that doubled container prices from 2019 to 2021. In parallel, Walmart reported first‑quarter results that missed consensus, with...
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Signs Framework with TerraPower to Supply Natrium Reactor Components
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries signed a Natrium Reactor Supply Framework Agreement with U.S. nuclear innovator TerraPower, naming the shipbuilder as the preferred manufacturer of enclosure system components. The pact, built on a year‑long joint study, aims to move Natrium reactors...
Intermodal Volumes Fall Just Short of Annual Growth in April, Reports IANA
Intermodal freight volumes in April 2026 slipped 0.6% year‑over‑year to 1,568,662 units, driven by a 6.4% drop in ISO containers while domestic equipment rose 8.2%. The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) introduced its Intermodal Volume Index (IVI), posting a...
Decoding Scope 3 Starts With Solving a Massive Data Problem
Procurement teams are under mounting pressure as the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and a wave of U.S. state laws require detailed Scope 3 emissions data from suppliers. Scope 3—covering indirect emissions across the value chain—makes up 70‑90% of most firms' carbon...
CircuitHub Secures $28M From Plural to Scale Cloud‑Style PCB Production
CircuitHub, the Cambridge‑based automated electronics factory, closed a $28 million Series A led by Plural. The funding will fuel the rollout of its “Grid” factories across the United States and Europe, aiming to bring cloud‑like economics to low‑volume printed‑circuit‑board production. The move...
Manhattan Associates Unveils AI‑Driven Solution Design Studio to Speed Ecommerce Supply‑Chain Setup
Manhattan Associates introduced Solution Design Studio, an AI‑powered platform that translates natural‑language blueprints into live supply‑chain configurations. The tool promises to shrink implementation cycles from months to minutes, targeting warehouse and transportation managers rather than IT specialists.
Freight Tonnage Stays Flat After Strong Start to 2026
Freight tonnage held steady in April 2026, with the ATA For‑Hire Truck Tonnage Index unchanged at 117.8, marking a 3.5% year‑over‑year gain and a 2.6% increase for the first four months versus 2025. The Cass Freight Index showed a 4.4%...
A Tale of Two Straits: Sweden and Denmark Are in a Position of Power Over Russia
Sweden and Denmark control the Øresund Strait, through which roughly 60% of Russia’s seaborne oil that funds its war in Ukraine passes. While the Strait of Hormuz remains closed after Iran‑U.S. clashes, the Øresund remains open, offering Europe a lever...
Mitsubishi S12R Engines Used to Repower M/V Hallie M. Merrick
Canal Barge Company has repowered its 75‑foot towboat M/V Hallie M. Merrick with two Mitsubishi S12R Tier 3 engines delivering 1,100 hp each. The upgrade, completed at Sterling Shipyard with Laborde Products, replaces the older Cummins KTA38 units and brings the vessel...
Eagle Vision Launches AI Damage Reporting Tool
Eagle Vision Security unveiled Intelligent Damage Reporting (iDR), an AI‑driven platform that scans trucks and trailers for visible damage in real time. The system combines high‑resolution imaging, video analytics and centralized reporting to automate inspections at logistics yards, terminals and...
‘Dummy Permits’ Could Overcome Last-Mile Snafus for Project Cargoes
Project cargo shippers in the United States are being urged to submit "dummy permits" up to a year in advance to test bridge clearances and state permitting feasibility. By simulating permit applications, companies can identify infrastructure constraints early and avoid...
IMO Adopts First-Ever Global Rules for Autonomous Ships
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted the first global International Code of Safety for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS Code), establishing a non‑mandatory framework for autonomous commercial vessels. The code defines four autonomy levels and addresses safety, cybersecurity, navigation,...
Drewry: Container Spot Rates Continue Climb as Early Peak Season Gains Momentum
Container freight rates kept climbing in early May, with Drewry’s World Container Index rising 6% to $2,712 per 40‑foot box, marking a third straight weekly gain. The steepest jumps appeared on the Asia‑Europe lane, where Shanghai‑Rotterdam rates surged 15% to...
2 Chinese Supertankers Join Flotilla Exiting Hormuz as Stand-Off Appears to Thaw
Three fully laden supertankers, including two Chinese VLCCs, crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, suggesting a possible easing of Iran’s restrictions. Iran announced that 26 vessels were permitted to transit the waterway, a notable increase from the roughly ten...
Nuclear Fuel Is the Weak Link in US Energy Security: Centrus CMO
U.S. nuclear power, supplying about 20% of electricity, relies heavily on foreign enriched uranium, with roughly 25% of fuel imported and Russian sanctions set for full effect in 2028. Prices for uranium enrichment have nearly tripled since 2022, threatening electricity...
US Publishes National Strategic Freight Plan
On May 19, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy released the 2026 National Freight Strategic Plan, a five‑year roadmap to modernize the nation’s 11.27 million‑kilometer freight network. The plan addresses a system that moves more than 54 million tonnes of goods valued at...
Gartner Urges Supply Chain Execs to Adopt Autonomous Business Strategies
At Gartner’s Supply Chain Symposium, analyst Alan O’Keeffe urged chief supply‑chain officers to move beyond task‑level automation toward fully autonomous business operations. He highlighted that 80% of CEOs view current digital strategies as inadequate for an AI‑driven future, and that...
Lowe’s AI Tool Speeds Material Quotes
Lowe’s unveiled Material Lists, an AI‑powered service that transforms handwritten notes, photos, spreadsheets and other file types into quote‑ready orders within minutes, supporting both English and Spanish. The tool leverages SKU matching and automated digitization to cut manual entry, speeding...
Maths Behind Hormuz Toll: Is Paying Iran for Transit Cheaper than Blockade?
The Strait of Hormuz has been sealed for eleven weeks, halting the daily flow of roughly 20 million barrels of oil and 10 billion cubic feet of LNG. Iran’s IRGC now permits a limited number of vessels to transit, charging up to...
Quanta Computer Selects Siemens Xcelerator to Advance Manufacturing Innovation
Quanta Computer, a leading consumer‑electronics OEM/ODM, has partnered with Siemens to deploy the Xcelerator portfolio across its global operations. The integration creates a unified digital thread that connects product design, PLM, and manufacturing execution, allowing teams to work on a...
Peat Producer Upgrades with Automated Packaging Line
Lithuanian peat producer Sulinkiai has installed an automated packaging line developed with Premier Tech, TMG Impianti and Bocedi. The system automates bag forming, filling, sealing, palletising and transport preparation, boosting capacity while ensuring uniform product quality. The upgrade positions Sulinkiai to...
POSCO Future M to Mass‑Produce Silicon Anodes by 2028, Targeting Premium EV Battery Demand
South Korean battery materials firm POSCO Future M said it will begin mass production of silicon anode material by 2028, aiming to meet rising demand for high‑performance EV batteries. The technology promises four‑times the energy of graphite anodes and could reshape...
EU Sets Up First Coordinated Stockpile of Tungsten, Rare Earths and Gallium
The European Union has shortlisted tungsten, rare earths and gallium for its first coordinated critical‑minerals stockpile, a move designed to shield European industry from Chinese export controls. Ten member states are already in planning groups, and the bloc is negotiating...
AMD Ramps up 2nm "Venice" CPU Production at TSMC Taiwan and Arizona Fabs
AMD announced that its 6th‑gen EPYC "Venice" processor is now in production on TSMC’s 2nm node in Taiwan, with a future ramp at TSMC’s Arizona fab. The move is backed by more than $10 billion in Taiwan ecosystem investments and signals...
Nissan Mulls Importing Low‑Cost Chinese‑Built Cars to Canada
Nissan is evaluating the import of one to two budget‑friendly models built in China for the Canadian market. The plan reflects mounting cost pressure and a broader industry warning that automakers without unified software platforms risk becoming mere commodity hardware...
Pentagon Turns to Domestic E‑Waste Stockpiles as Critical Minerals Source
The Pentagon announced that the classified electronics stored in its own warehouses will become the nation’s next major source of critical minerals. With a $12 billion Project Vault stockpile and a $500 million DOE recycling fund, the move aims to close a looming...
Azerbaijan Begins Reconstruction of Key Central Railway Line
Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) has begun a major rehabilitation of the Yevlakh‑Barda line, the first substantial upgrade since 1967. The aging corridor currently limits speeds to 10‑60 km/h, but the reconstruction will modernize track, signaling and safety systems, enabling higher speeds and...
Energy Sanctions Dashboard: October 2025
The Atlantic Council’s Energy Sanctions Dashboard shows that U.S. sanctions on Russia, Iran and Venezuela have removed millions of barrels per day from global markets between 2014 and 2025, while China has become the chief destination for the remaining crude....
Angeliki Frangou Joins VLCC Bandwagon with up to Eight Newbuildings Lined Up
Angeliki Frangou, chief executive of Navios Maritime Partners, confirmed the Greek‑owned carrier will acquire up to eight VLCCs, expanding on a prior order of four scrubber‑fitted vessels worth $482 million slated for delivery in the second half of 2028. The newbuildings...
Early LNG Diversions to Asia Cut Fuel, Boost Profits
⏹️As the Hormuz crisis drags on, the market is adapting quickly. Several LNG carriers originally bound for Europe have been diverted to Asia, where prices are significantly higher. ⏹️Earlier in the crisis, ships were typically diverted midway through their voyage....
Hormuz Closure Threatens Recession-Scale Economic Downturn
A closure of the Strait of Hormuz through August raises the risk of an economic downturn that comes close to the scale of the Great Recession in 2008, according to Rapidan Energy Group https://t.co/BO69wnSivn via @MiaGindis https://t.co/Sdbohmrflw
US Manufacturers Ramp up Supply
US manufacturing tries to get ahead of rising prices from the Iran war. That means more upstream supply chain activity. And logistics.
Walmart’s Fuel Surge Highlights Logistics Cost Pressures
$WMT Walmart hit by higher fuel costs in its distribution and fulfillment. A sign for supply chains and logistics.