Today's Supply Chain Pulse
Shipowners stay cautious despite US‑Iran Hormuz reopening deal
President Trump announced a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ending the naval blockade that had closed the oil conduit since late February. Shipowners, however, remain wary, pointing to 57 recorded security incidents and lingering mines, and are opting for lower‑risk routes until safety can be assured.
Also developing:
By the numbers: GIA acquires 30% stake in De Beers' Tracr blockchain platform
Shipping at Risk in the Strait of Hormuz
The ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis is costing the global shipping sector roughly €340 million a day – about $371 million in U.S. dollars – as vessels reroute or wait for safer passages. The surge in fuel expenses highlights the industry’s acute exposure to geopolitical shocks and volatile oil prices. Transport & Environment (T&E) urges European policymakers to fast‑track decarbonisation measures, including electrification, e‑fuel adoption, and a stronger Emission Trading System (ETS). The briefing argues that green solutions can shield shipping from future price spikes and enhance resilience.
Rubio Says Strait of Hormuz Is Global, Not U.S. Issue
Opening the Strait of Hormuz is not America's problem, says Marco Rubio "The countries that are most impacted by that should be willing to do something about it." "We'll help you." "We're impacted by it a little bit, but the rest of the...
Summit Midstream Aims to Clear 'Hidden' Permian Gas Constraints
Summit Midstream is exploring a capacity expansion on its interstate pipeline that transports natural gas from the Permian Basin’s Delaware subbasin to the Waha Hub, linking Southwest and Gulf Coast markets. The move targets “hidden” constraints—primarily gathering and processing bottlenecks—that...
What Every Multinational Should Know About … How to Cope with New Court Decisions Expanding Supply Chain Integrity Risks: Six...
Recent U.S. jury verdicts in the Chiquita Brands and BNP Paribas cases show that violations of U.S. economic sanctions can serve as the factual backbone for civil liability, even though sanctions statutes lack a private right of action. Plaintiffs leveraged sanctions...
Friday Footnotes: Supply Dynamics and a Changing World
Recent attacks in the Middle East, including Iran's retaliation and the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, have created unprecedented geopolitical turbulence. The disruption threatens global energy flows and could reverberate through commodity markets for years. Though less visible, agriculture...
EU Customs Union Overhaul Targets €90 Bn Modernisation, Boosts Trade Efficiency
EU finance minister Makis Keravnos and Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic announced a historic customs code reform worth €90 bn, creating a single data hub and new authority in Lille. The move seeks to streamline cross‑border trade, cut compliance costs and protect the single...
Iran War Triggers Global Fertilizer Shortage, Pushes Food Prices Higher
The Iran‑Israel conflict has choked the Strait of Hormuz, curtailing roughly a third of global fertilizer shipments and sending U.S. fertilizer prices up 40% since the fall. The squeeze is already raising production costs for farmers and is expected to...
DKSH to Acquire Malaysia's AIC Ingredients, Expanding Southeast Asian Food Business
DKSH Holding AG disclosed a deal to purchase AIC Ingredients Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian bakery‑focused functional‑ingredients maker. The transaction, slated to close in Q2 2026, will create a third ekpi pillar in Malaysia and broaden DKSH’s food‑blending capabilities across Southeast Asia.
Iran's $2M Ship Fee Fuels Export Surge Amid US Presence
Iran is processing ships at the Imam Khomeini port, located in Khuzestan at the northernmost extreme of the Gulf, near Kharg Island. So, for ships seeking passage approval from Iran, they have to sail all the way to the northern end...
FreightWaves Launches Top‑Rated Daily Freight Market Show
FreightWaves Today, our daily freight market show coming in May, is now the most successful ad-supported show we've ever launched at FreightWaves. I will be the host alongside Julie, featuring Zach, Malcolm, Charles, and our team of market experts. Each...
Warehouses Pay the Price for a Lack of Agility, Finds Lucas Systems
Lucas Systems' new study of 114 U.S. supply‑chain executives reveals warehouses are struggling with a surge in unplanned disruptions post‑COVID. More than half report their automation is too rigid, with 85% experiencing up to ten significant interruptions in the past...
Houthis in Yemen Announce Entry Into the Conflict if Any Alliance Joins the US and Israel
The Yemen‑based Houthis warned they will join Iran against any coalition that aligns the United States and Israel, threatening to block the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait. Saudi Arabia has hinted it may intervene, raising the prospect of a direct Houthi‑Saudi confrontation. A...
Supermicro Servers With Nvidia GPUs Sold To China Military-Linked Universities: Report
Supermicro sold AI‑focused servers equipped with Nvidia A100 GPUs to four Chinese universities, including two with direct military ties. Reuters documents show two additional universities attempted similar purchases, citing ties to the People’s Liberation Army and missile‑technology programs. The sales...
SEMI Europe Applauds European Commission’s Implementation Dialogue on Chips Act 2.0
SEMI Europe participated in the European Commission’s Implementation Dialogue on the Chips Act, supporting the upcoming revision known as Chips Act 2.0. The association highlighted its Chips Act Report, which contains 30 recommendations covering regulatory simplification, faster permitting, targeted investment,...
Procurement Misses 10‑25% Savings Without This Tool
I've spent two decades in supply chain and procurement. And in that time, I've watched the same pattern play out repeatedly. The procurement team works hard. They run RFQs, manage suppliers, and negotiate contracts. They do everything right. And yet — they...
Inevitable Conflict Drives Need for Self‑Sufficient Supply Chains
We’ve never been good at fixing things we blew up and we are the world’s best at blowing things up. It was never a matter of if we’d get into a kinetic conflict with Iran, but when. All the more...
Port of Huelva Expands South Quay Rail Terminal
The Port of Huelva is adding a third railway track, V3, 1,211 m long, to its South Quay terminal, expanding the platform by 15,112 m² to nearly 49,000 m². Funded by the EU’s NextGenerationEU recovery plan, the upgrade includes modern safety, signaling, drainage...
Epic Fury Oil Shock: Repositioning Your Portfolio for War
Operation Epic Fury, the US‑Israeli offensive against Iran, has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, choking roughly 20% of global crude oil flow and a host of other critical commodities. The closure also traps 22% of urea and ammonia, 24%...
Why Passing Every Check No Longer Means Safe
The article shows that a cargo theft can succeed even when a carrier clears every standard verification—insurance, VIN, tracking—because the actual person handling the freight may be fraudulent. In a recent case, a load moved normally for three days before...
DOT's Duffy: 'Spot Rates Are Going to Go Up' As FMCSA Cracks Down on Fraud
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FMCSA Administrator Derek Barr s used the Mid‑America Trucking Show to unveil a sweeping anti‑fraud agenda. The agency announced a crackdown on ghost offices, non‑domiciled CDL holders and bilingual testing, while launching the “Operation Safe Drive” enforcement...
Trump’s Tariffs Were Symbolic, Global Trade Endured
Factful Friday is up! After a book-writing hiatus, it's back (and based on snippets from my forthcoming eBook, World War Trade). 👉Why didn’t Donald Trump’s tariffs melt down the world trade system? This Factful Friday, based on snippets from my...
Trump Tariffs Are Strangling US‑China Trade, Data Shows
WSJ: How Trump’s Tariffs Are Choking U.S.-China Trade (with AMAZING charts) by @hannahmiao_ & @CloudberryRoque 🤓 👉🏻 https://t.co/vNeIUWWiqm https://t.co/GB3I7d35ly
Afresh Expands Platform Across Full Store as Grocery Tech Matures Into the AI Era
Afresh, a grocery‑AI startup, announced it is extending its platform beyond fresh produce to manage inventory, ordering, and replenishment across an entire supermarket. The expanded solution now handles demand forecasting, inventory control, and distribution‑center operations for produce, meat, center‑store items,...
U.S. Seizing Hormuz Islands Leads to Exhaustion, Not Victory
The U.S. could take the Hormuz islands—but not control the outcome says @MahmoudianArman It would be a casualty-heavy scenario It ends in exhaustion, not victory. #IranWar #Geopolitics #AsymmetricWarfare #Oil
Gulf Aluminum Plants Supply 9% Globally, Tightening Markets
The facilities in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman account for roughly 9% of global primary aluminum. This is going to tighten supply for many key global industries like construction, vehicles, and aerospace. #aluminum #iranwar #geopolitics https://t.co/qO2ERCGHMN
Fastmarkets Proposes to Launch US Bismuth, Indium Price Assessments: Pricing Notice
Fastmarkets announced plans to introduce fortnightly price assessments for bismuth and indium on a Delivered‑Duty‑Paid (DDP) US basis starting May 1. The bismuth benchmark will be quoted in USD per pound with a minimum 1‑tonne contract, while indium will be priced...
SBA Launches Huge Financing for Specialized Truckers
Reefer, hazmat, and flatbed truckers and logistics service providers were just given a massive financing vehicle by the SBA.
Houthis Warn Red Sea Escalation Amid Iran War
Houthis Threaten Red Sea Escalation as Iran War Risks Spreading to Second Shipping Chokepoint https://t.co/9Nypu2iQHO
Trader Books Large Vietnamese HDG Cargo for UK
A trader has secured roughly 15,000 t of Vietnamese hot‑dip galvanised (HDG) coil for delivery to the UK, despite ongoing uncertainty over the UK’s tariff‑rate quota. The booking follows a leaked proposal that would raise Vietnam’s duty‑exempt quota to about 174,000 t,...
Still Waiting on SAVE and SHIPs Act Passage
I’ve been a little busy… Did we pass the SAVE Act yet? How about the SHIPs Act?
Iran War Threatens Global Fertilizer Supply, Endangers Food Security
The Iran war has crippled Middle East production/shipments of fertilitizer and upstream inputs, threatening global food supplies. That could be bad for rich countries - and disastrous for poor ones. https://t.co/YLuPd0NrWM https://t.co/FPLfLjAOYy
How a US Truck Components Maker Is Handling Tariffs
U.S. truck‑components maker TCCI is navigating a fragmented tariff regime after the Supreme Court struck down some Trump‑era duties, but Section 232 tariffs on heavy‑duty parts remain. The company invested $45 million in a Clean Energy Innovation Hub to produce electric compressors...
China Launches Probes Into US Section 301 Investigations
Beijing’s commerce ministry said on Friday it was initiating two probes of its own looking into the US Section 301 investigations into China. by @leahyjoseph, Tina Hu & @AsiaLens https://t.co/LI97xXyn8V
Chemicals Firms Hike Prices Amid War-Driven Inflation Shock
"Chemicals companies on the front lines of the inflationary shock are aggressively raising prices on disruptions from the four-week-old war... The price increases are already kicking off a chain reaction." https://t.co/E16JDzEqwM https://t.co/Ttbur0ru2f
WCI Rises for Fourth Straight Week to $2,279
Drewry’s World Container Index jumped 5% to $2,279 per 40‑foot container, marking a fourth consecutive weekly rise. Asia‑Europe lanes led the surge, with Shanghai‑Genoa rates climbing 12% to $3,474, while Transpacific routes also posted gains. Only three blank sailings are...
US China Trade Gap Narrows, Overall Deficit Hits Record
"The U.S. goods trade deficit with China shrank 32% to $202 billion last year..., the narrowest since 2005. Yet the overall U.S. goods trade deficit grew 2.1% to a record $1.24 trillion because U.S. importers shifted rapidly to other markets"...
H100 GPUs Skyrocket in Price, Supply Remains Scarce
Lots of SKUs of H100 commanding much higher prices. Inference has moved to N-2,3 etc compute hardware. And we don’t have nearly enough.
As Diesel Prices Surpass 91 Petrol, Truckies Say Goods and Groceries Will Start Going up Too
Diesel prices in New Zealand have surged 80% since February, reaching $3.24‑$3.45 NZD per litre (about $1.94‑$2.07 USD), overtaking 91 petrol for the first time. Petrol has risen only 35% in the same period. Trucking firms are absorbing extra costs—up to $150 NZD (~$90 USD) daily...
China’s Decade-Long Push for Energy Self‑Sufficiency as Defense
China has been planning for over a decade to be cut off from global energy resources. Sustainable Energy is National Defense
Zero‑Carbon Policies Spark Australia’s Fuel Shortage Crisis
Australia faces a massive gasoline and diesel shortage, which is a travesty of its own making. NIMBYism and zero carbon policies are killing first world economies https://t.co/zOWEhNZ4qm
Guest: Ian Massey of S-RM on the Ongoing Supply Chain Impacts From the War Against Iran; What Is “Port Proximate”...
In this episode, Ian Massey of SRM explains how the ongoing war with Iran is destabilizing global supply chains, especially in energy, shipping, logistics, and related downstream industries. He outlines three possible conflict scenarios—escalation, protracted low‑intensity fighting, and de‑escalation—and advises...
Decades of Navy‑Merchant Marine Split Now Costing Hormuz
"The United States has spent seven decades severing every operational link between the Navy and the Merchant Marine, and the Hormuz crisis is the bill coming due." 🎯NAILED IT 🎯 https://t.co/l9z9PP9W7P
Trump Says No Immediate Iran Ground Invasion Despite Troop Buildup
EXCLUSIVE: The Trump administration is signaling to allies that it has no immediate plans for a ground invasion of Iran, even as it deploys thousands of troops to the Middle East, people familiar with the matter said. @nwadhams https://t.co/YZRj1gwl2H
30 Days of West Asia Conflict: India Ups LPG Output, Focuses on PNG as Imports Concerns Persist
India, the world’s second‑largest LPG importer, boosted domestic LPG production amid the West Asia conflict that disrupted supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Refinery output was increased by 40% to a record 50,000 tonnes per day, cutting daily import...
Kill Data Debt with Perfion PIM for 10k SKUs
Managing 10,000+ SKUs shouldn't be a horror story. Kill "Data Debt" with Perfion PIM and ditch messy spreadsheets. 📈 #PIM #Perfion #Distribution #SupplyChain #DataManagement #ERP Schedule a meeting with me: https://t.co/ZsEwnG4p2n https://t.co/tRldYvC7rO
Strait Reopening Prevents Catastrophic Fallout
"but the catastrophic consequences of the Strait remaining closed won't happen if the Strait reopens" https://t.co/iULTzt6N2d
India's Export Bans Could Sway Global Rice, Sugar Prices
Decent odds we see some export bans for key commodities where India can move global prices (eg rice, sugar)
European Car Makers Shift to Defense to Save Jobs
Europe’s beleaguered automakers & their parts suppliers are turning to defense production for viable alternative sources of income. “Without a new revenue stream, they face factory closures and job cuts.” Via @Jordyn_Dahl @Politico https://t.co/Ub0CxTDJYj
Rubio Says No Ground Troops Needed, but Preserves Trump’s Options
NEW: Secretary of State Marco Rubio tells me at the airport before leaving France that the US does NOT need to deploy ground troops to accomplish its objectives in the #IranWar. But part of the cabinet's job is to always give...
Truckers Praise Sec. Duffy as First Supportive DOT Leader
@SecDuffy is a rockstar among truckers who feel that he is the first DOT Secretary that has their back...