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
Much of Dutch Fishing Fleet Stands Idle Amid High Diesel Prices
Dutch beam‑trawler operators are grounding roughly half their fleet as diesel prices double following the Iran‑Russia conflict. Weekly fuel bills have surged from about $14,000‑$15,000 to roughly $34,500 per vessel, eroding profit margins for high‑value flatfish catches. The situation mirrors similar strain across Belgium, Britain and other EU nations, prompting industry groups to lobby the European Commission for emergency aid. Prices for species like sole have already jumped, foreshadowing tighter supply for consumers.
Which Foundries Are Making Which AI Chips?
Jon Peddie Research tracks 133 active AI processor suppliers, with major players like Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom, Google and a host of startups operating fabless. Nvidia’s newest Rubin GPU is manufactured by TSMC using its N3P process, while its Groq 3...
Truckstops Exploit Tax-Driven Diesel Price Gaps; West Coast Policies Blamed
The major truckstops already do this arb. They will move their diesel purchases between PADs to take advantage of price deltas at the rack. But a good portion of the diesel cost delta is actually tax and transportation related. The...
Will QatarEnergy's LNG Fiasco Derail Goldman's Prewar View Of A Mega LNG Wave
QatarEnergy announced that an Iranian attack on its Ras Laffan facility has knocked out roughly 17% of the country’s LNG export capacity, with repairs expected to take three to five years. The outage translates to about $20 billion in lost annual...
Where Drivers Still Beat Autonomous Systems, and Why It Matters
Autonomous vehicles excel in repeatable, data‑rich environments but still lag behind human drivers when faced with unpredictable edge cases such as stray objects or unmarked detours. Human intuition leverages analogy and cultural cues, allowing rapid adaptation to informal traffic negotiations...
Hormuz Ship Traffic Stays Frozen Despite Move to Start Fees
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains virtually halted four weeks into the Iran‑Israel conflict, with only six vessels recorded on March 26 versus the pre‑war average of nearly 60 daily transits in 2025. Iran announced a toll system demanding...
US Apathy Sparks Panic, May Force Strait Reopening
Over the past 24 hours, I’ve talked to a number of leading shipping and energy sources in Europe and Asia. Overall mood: panic. Talked to dozens of key people in the USA. Overall mood: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Allied navies might have to reopen the strait...
Network Airline Services Opens New Nairobi Office
Network Airline Services (NAS) has relocated its Nairobi office to the Kenya Airways Cargo Centre at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, gaining a larger, modern workspace. The move supports a growing team and rising demand for air‑cargo services across East Africa....
China Detains Nearly 70 Panama-Flagged Vessels Amid Canal Dispute
China has detained close to 70 Panama-flagged ships at its ports since March 8, a move U.S. officials say is retaliation over Panama Canal terminal leases. The detentions, largely of older bulk carriers, come as Panama sues for over $2 billion...
Amazon Pilots Prime Shipping on Third‑party Sites without Login
Amazon has begun testing a new sales‑enablement capability that allows merchants on external websites to display Prime‑eligible shipping options without forcing shoppers to sign in to an Amazon account. The pilot, announced in early March, aims to boost conversion rates...
U.S. Sellers Ride 2026 World Cup Jersey Surge with No‑Warehouse Model
U.S. online retailers are leveraging the 2026 World Cup custom jersey frenzy with a no‑warehouse, no‑minimum fulfillment approach, allowing rapid scaling without inventory risk. The strategy, driven by the tournament’s broad qualifying field, promises higher margins but hinges on precise...
Alaska Ore Tests Beat Military‑Grade Specs, Raising Strategic Mineral Stakes
Independent testing of ore from a newly identified Alaskan deposit found it exceeds military‑grade quality thresholds. The discovery could reshape U.S. supply chains for defense‑critical minerals, intensifying the clash between mining advocates and conservation groups.
Supreme Court Rules Trump Tariffs Unconstitutional, $166 Billion Refund Looms for U.S. Companies
The U.S. Supreme Court declared President Trump's emergency tariffs illegal, prompting an estimated $166 billion rebate to importers. Companies such as FedEx and Costco now face a tangled path to recover the funds, creating volatility for earnings forecasts and stock prices.
Fears of Fuel Shortages Lead to Panic Buying in Australia
The episode examines the recent fuel shortages at Australian petrol stations, attributing the empty pumps largely to panic buying rather than a supply disruption from the Israel‑Iran conflict. Independent station owner Steve Amos describes how demand spiked, forcing wholesalers to...
Ferrari Resumes Shipments to the Middle East Amid Ongoing Iran War
Ferrari announced that shipments of its supercars to the Middle East have resumed after a brief pause caused by the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran. The automaker resolved temporary logistical challenges by re‑routing sea freight and...
BNSF Customers Invest More Than $5.3B in 2025
BNSF announced that customers invested over $5.3 billion in rail‑served projects during 2025, completing 117 initiatives—the highest count in six years. The projects generated more than 1,200 jobs across industrial, agricultural and consumer sectors, boosting production capacity and supply‑chain resilience. Notable...
Logistical Complications for Russian Energy Exports
Russia's oil export revenues have resumed growth after four years of decline, buoyed by higher energy prices and a temporary U.S. sanctions easing. However, the country's ability to capitalize on this rebound is constrained by aging western pipelines and ports...
Iranian Steel Plants Damaged by Air Strikes
Iranian steelmakers Khouzestan Steel and Mobarakeh Steel were hit by air strikes attributed to the US and Israel, damaging storage silos, a substation, an alloy‑steel line and power infrastructure. The attacks are expected to reduce billet and slab production and...
Sound Transit Approves Contract for New Operations and Maintenance Facility
Sound Transit’s board approved a progressive design‑build contract with Hoffman Construction to build a new Operations and Maintenance Facility South in Federal Way. The $350 million agreement covers final design, site work, roadway upgrades and construction staging on a 70‑acre site,...
World Star Leases Boeing 737-400SF to Sky One
World Star Aviation has delivered a leased Boeing 737‑400SF to UAE‑based cargo carrier Sky One, marking the third such aircraft in their partnership. The converted freighter offers a 20‑ton payload and a 3,700 km range, suited for short‑ and medium‑haul routes. Sky...
Kubotek Kosmos Updates MBD Utility Software to 8.0
Kubotek Kosmos released version 8.0 of its Model-Based Definition utility suite—Validate, Revision, Convert, and View—enhancing CAD file compatibility and visualization features. The update adds support for the latest 2026 releases of nine major CAD formats, full handling of saved cutting...
Stricken Bulk Carrier Mayuree Naree Runs Aground on Iran’s Qeshm Island
The Thai‑flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree, a 30,000‑dwt vessel owned by Precious Shipping, was struck by two projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz on March 11, igniting an engine‑room fire and forcing abandonment. Twenty crew members were rescued by Oman’s navy,...
BAE Systems Names 12 Suppliers in Annual Awards
BAE Systems held its ninth annual Partner 2 Win Supplier of the Year ceremony in Boston, honoring twelve suppliers for outstanding 2025 performance. The awards recognize on‑time delivery, high quality, and collaborative technology development across aerospace, defense, and security. Winners include precision‑machined...
Energy Crisis and Conflict Drag Down Global Growth in 2026
Prometeia’s latest outlook warns that the Iran‑Hormuz conflict and resulting energy shock are eroding global growth in 2026. Euro‑area GDP is trimmed to 0.8%, a 0.4‑point downgrade, as gas reserves dwindle and inflation‑driven recovery stalls. The United States is projected...
Vertical Aerospace Selects Isoclima for Valo Transparencies
Vertical Aerospace announced a strategic partnership with Italy’s Isoclima S.p.A. to design and manufacture the complete transparency suite for its upcoming Valo eVTOL, including pilot and passenger canopies and glazing systems. The agreement secures long‑term supply stability and technical continuity...
Fareway Breaks Ground on Distribution Center Expansion
Fareway Stores has begun construction on a 105,000‑square‑foot freezer expansion at its Boone, Iowa distribution center, slated for completion in mid‑2027. The addition will almost double pallet capacity, increase pallet facings by about 33%, and convert frozen space into extra...
Predicting Failure Before It Happens: A New Playbook for Transportation Risk
A new Predictive Reliability Index (PRI) framework uses machine learning to forecast carrier‑level pickup defects, achieving an 85% accuracy rate and a 30% reduction in high‑risk defects. The model ingests over 147 data points, distills them to 20 key predictors,...
LOGISTEED Integrates ALPS Logistics Freight Forwarding Into Core Unit
LOGISTEED will integrate the domestic freight forwarding functions of ALPS Logistics into LOGISTEED Express, effective April 1 2026. The consolidation aims to simplify operations, standardize processes, and improve consistency amid increasingly complex supply chains driven by geopolitical risks and market volatility. By...
ART Wins DLA JAMA Contract for 3D Printed Defense Parts
Virginia‑based Applied Rapid Technologies (ART), a division of Obsidian Solutions Group, has been named the prime contractor for the Defense Logistics Agency’s Joint Additive Manufacturing Acceptance (JAMA) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity pilot program. The award positions ART to supply 3D‑printed, flight‑safety‑critical...
U.S. Great Lakes Shipping Stands Still Due to Ice Conditions, Lack of Icebreakers
U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighters are immobilized in the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay after the Soo Locks opened, as ice up to two feet thick—covered by three feet of snow—blocks passage. The sole U.S. heavy icebreaker, the Coast Guard cutter...
G6 Hospitality Launches Procurement Platform
G6 Hospitality, the parent of Motel 6 and Studio 6, has unveiled G6 Marketplace, an enterprise‑grade procurement platform for its US and Canada franchise network. The digital hub consolidates suppliers, inventory, pricing and ordering, allowing franchisees to source supplies, lock...
Energy, Chemicals Industries Race to Fully Automate
Schneider Electric’s Global Autonomous Maturity Report surveyed 400 energy and chemical executives across 12 nations, finding that 31.5% view advancing autonomy as a top priority for the next five years and 44% see it as critical over the next decade....
Iona Takes Flight: Drone Deliveries Set to Transform Ireland's Logistics Landscape
Iona, founded by French entrepreneur Etienne Louvet, is set to launch Ireland’s first commercial drone delivery service by the end of 2026. The startup has raised nearly €4.5 million (about $4.9 million) and is classified as a high‑potential venture by Enterprise Ireland....
Iran War Cripples Hormuz, Triggers Unprecedented Oil Shock
"The biggest supply disruption in history." The war in Iran has closed the straight of Hormuz, damaged energy infrastructure across the region, and sent shockwaves across the global oil & gas industry. It's so big, it's hard to get your...
Empires Rose on Ships and Salt; Britain Now Lacks Both
If you study the rise and fall of empires the two most important things are ships and salt. Now the UK barely has either.
The Jones Act and the Cost of Shipping Between U.S. Ports (UPDATED)
The Trump administration granted a 60‑day waiver of the Jones Act to ease oil market disruptions amid rising crude prices and supply‑chain strains from the Iran conflict. The Jones Act, a 1920 cabotage law requiring U.S.-flagged, U.S.-built vessels for domestic...
Port of LA Volumes Surge 3% in Two Hours
Sharing some charts from the Port of LA's Port Optimizer Signal platform. Volumes into the port are rising in the two weeks ahead (notably that week 14 number literally rose 3% from 9 am ET this morning to when I...
New Map Shows Diesel Cost Per Mile by Location
We've created a new map, which tracks the estimated cost per mile for buying diesel, depending on where you purchase fuel. https://t.co/JKDNneabWc
Leading European Courier and Parcel Operator Deploys Newly Launched Matrix 830/930 for High-Volume Operations
Datalogic announced that its newly launched Matrix 830/930 barcode reader has been selected by a leading European courier and parcel operator for high‑volume logistics. After a rigorous head‑to‑head technical evaluation, the operator plans to deploy dozens of the devices across its...
UK Faces First Ever Net Salt Imports
For the first time in history, the UK could become a net importer of salt. https://t.co/LebKeoPpE6 https://t.co/SJkfWqLqVr
U.S. Pivots to Western Hemisphere Energy, Partnering with Venezuela
My view in the @EpochTimes on the US reducing reliance on Middle Eastern oil: “There is a strategic shift toward a more resilient Western Hemisphere energy bloc... through tighter integration of supply chains ... with Venezuela." https://t.co/DLlkE38yYS
Insufficient Source Data to Verify Navy Submarine Automation Funding
The claim that the U.S. Navy allocated nearly $1 billion to automate submarine production cannot be substantiated from the provided source material. Consequently, specifics about the program, its participants, and its impact remain undisclosed.
Address Chronic Shortfall in Domestic Weapon Procurement
We should get back to the topic of chronically insufficient procurement of weapons that we can produce and could have been easily contracted.
Flatbed Load Rejections Hit 50% This Weekend
Flatbed rejections remain extremely elevated as we head into the weekend. Half of all flatbed loads are being turned down by operators. https://t.co/RMKQZhvvwh
Ford Adds Third Shift as F-150 Shortage Lifts Prices by $35K
Ford Motor Co. is adding a third shift at its Dearborn Truck Plant to produce an extra 50,000 F-150 pickups in 2026 after a fire at aluminum supplier Novelis crippled output. The shortage has forced the automaker to prioritize high‑margin...
Let SAP Business One Agents Automate Your ERP Tasks
2026: the year your ERP starts doing the work. Stop staring at dashboards: let SAP Business One agents handle the heavy lifting 🤖 $SAP #SAPBusinessOne #ERP #AI #Automation #Wholesale #Distribution Schedule a meeting with me: https://info.quaintbusiness. https://t.co/s1WiQMkWva
The Global Economy’s Many Chokepoints
The article warns that the global economy’s drive for efficiency has created fragile single points of failure, exemplified by Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly one‑fifth of world oil and a quarter of fertilizer. This...
Amazon's Project Kobe Aims to Build Walmart‑Style Supercenters with Robots
Amazon announced its internal Project Kobe, a blueprint for 225,000‑sq‑ft supercenters that blend grocery, general merchandise and a warehouse‑scale fulfillment hub. The pilot stores in Illinois and New Jersey will rely on AI‑driven assortment planning and warehouse robots, a move...
ELEGOO Makes PAX East Debut with Immersive 3D Printing Showcase, Featuring First Exhibition of Centauri Carbon 2 Combo
ELEGOO made its PAX East debut, unveiling an immersive 3D‑printing experience that highlighted the first public showcase of its new Centauri Carbon 2 Combo desktop printer. The booth combined live printing demos, influencer‑led cosplay displays and gaming‑themed models to illustrate how...