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
West Coast Port Row over Booking Systems Threatens Supply Chain Efficiency
A dispute is brewing on the U.S. West Coast as Advent eModal, the dominant provider of container appointment software, threatens to block carriers from using third‑party aggregation tools. The West Coast MTO Agreement mandates truckers to book slots, but eModal’s terms prohibit sharing credentials, forcing carriers to juggle up to five separate platforms across 11 terminals. The Harbour Trucking Association has appealed to the Federal Maritime Commission, warning that restricted access could erode efficiency gains and stifle innovation. CargoSprint, which acquired eModal in 2024, denies anti‑competitive intent and says recent investments are improving system reliability.
USPS Requests Temporary 8% Package Surcharge to Offset Fuel Costs
The United States Postal Service has filed a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission for a temporary 8% surcharge on its Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select services. The increase, slated to start on April 26...
German Silence Leaves the Netherlands in the Dark on Railway Planning
Germany’s “Third Track” upgrade, a key link for the Rotterdam‑hinterland rail corridor, will not be completed within the next decade after an 80‑week construction shutdown began in late 2024. The prolonged closure has already forced the Netherlands to cut thousands...
Iran War Sends Shockwaves Through Energy, Fertilizer and Consumer Goods Supply Chains
The war sparked by Iran’s confrontation with the United States and Israel has closed the Strait of Hormuz, driven Brent crude above $100 a barrel and halted key fertilizer shipments, while India grapples with an LPG shortage that threatens millions...
Amazon Tests Prime Shipping on External Sites, Details Undisclosed
Amazon has begun a pilot that would let external e‑commerce sites display Prime two‑day shipping eligibility without requiring shoppers to log into Amazon. The company has not released details on participating sites, timeline, or technical implementation, leaving the market to...
OpenAI Adds Broadcom as AI Chip Supplier, Widening Gap with Nvidia
OpenAI announced that Broadcom will join Nvidia as a supplier of custom AI accelerators for its ChatGPT and other services, marking a strategic diversification. Broadcom’s AI semiconductor revenue doubled to $8.4 billion last quarter, underscoring its growing relevance in the inference...
Meta's AI Ray‑Ban Glasses Stalled in EU Over Battery, AI and Supply Rules
Meta Platforms' AI‑powered Ray‑Ban smart glasses have hit a trio of EU obstacles—mandatory removable batteries by 2027, strict AI regulations, and supply shortfalls from partner EssilorLuxottica—forcing the company to seek an exemption and postponing a European rollout.
Chevron Warns California of Historic Fuel Shortage as Diesel Tops $7 per Gallon
Chevron warned that California is on the brink of a historic fuel shortage after diesel prices surged past $7 a gallon, the highest on record. The company said it may cease refining in the state unless taxes and regulations are...
From Transport to Handling: Neura Demonstrates End-to-End Mobile Manipulation for Intralogistics
Neura Mobile Robots showcased an end‑to‑end mobile manipulation system at LogiMAT, pairing its X Move 1200 AGV with the MAiRA M cognitive cobot. The integrated platform not only transports goods but also autonomously grasps, stores, and retrieves items, eliminating manual handovers. This...
Iran's Hormuz Closure Sends Brent to $104, Triggers Global Energy Shock
Iran’s decision to block the Strait of Hormuz has driven Brent crude up to $104 a barrel, a 40% jump since the war began, while roughly 2,000 vessels remain stranded. The move fuels a price surge, a de‑facto toll‑booth regime...
EPA Issues Temporary E15 Gasoline Waiver to Ease $4‑plus Pump Prices
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, led by Administrator Lee Zeldin, approved a short‑term waiver permitting nationwide sales of E15 gasoline from May 1 to May 20. The move targets near‑$4‑per‑gallon pump prices that have surged amid the Iran war, while sparking debate...
Brazil Unveils First Domestically Assembled Supersonic Fighter, the F‑39E Gripen
Brazil has unveiled the F‑39E Gripen, its first domestically assembled supersonic fighter, marking the first time a Latin American nation has produced such an aircraft. The jet is part of a $4 billion deal for 36 fighters, with 15 built locally,...
Samsung to Launch GaN Foundry and SiC Pilot Line, Targeting Power Market
Samsung Electronics will begin mass production at its 8‑inch GaN power‑semiconductor foundry line in the second quarter of 2026 and start sample production of silicon‑carbide (SiC) devices in the third quarter. The move positions Samsung as a new player in...
Foreign-Trade Zones Explained & Applied
Foreign‑Trade Zones (FTZs) are secured U.S. sites where imported goods remain outside customs territory, allowing companies to defer or eliminate duties until the merchandise is released. Recent tariff spikes and shifting trade policy have revived interest in FTZs as a...
Gulf Tensions Force Arabian Drilling to Suspend Ops on some Offshore Rigs
Saudi Arabia’s largest drilling contractor, Arabian Drilling, announced the suspension of several offshore rigs in the Gulf due to heightened regional tensions, while its on‑shore fleet of 39 rigs remains fully operational. The move follows a similar short‑term shutdown by...
Barry Callebaut, Ferrero, Hershey & Tony’s Chocolonely Join Cocoa Coalition
Barry Callebaut, Ferrero, Hershey and Tony’s Chocolonely have joined the UK Cocoa Coalition, a multi‑stakeholder alliance of chocolate makers, NGOs and retailers. The coalition is lobbying for rapid adoption of the UK Forest Risk Commodities Regulation to eradicate deforestation and...
The Iran War Is Hitting Every Node in the LNG Supply Chain
The ongoing war in Iran is disrupting every node of the regional liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain, choking exports from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. With Gulf output curtailed, European and Asian buyers are forced to vie for...
Only 5% of Companies Choose Intermodal in Three Italian Key Regions
An annual Contship‑SRM study of firms in Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia‑Romagna shows intermodal transport remains marginal, with usage below 5% in three of the past four years and a one‑off 20% peak in 2023. Across 2019‑2025 the average share of...
Hitachi Rail to Build a Premium Dining Railcar in Japan
Hitachi Rail will build Seibu Railway’s new premium dining car, the Fine Dining Train “vies,” slated for service in March 2028. The design draws on Hitachi’s Laview express train platform, leveraging large windows, spacious interiors, and advanced control systems. The project...
Airlines and Airports Gain Early Warning of Baggage Disruptions
SITA has introduced Bag Radar, a cloud‑based analytics platform that consolidates baggage data from BIMs, WorldTracer, BRS and DCS to deliver real‑time and predictive insights. By applying historical analysis and AI, the solution flags potential mishandling, missed connections and bottlenecks...
COSCO Resumes Gulf Bookings
China’s state‑backed COSCO Shipping Lines announced it will resume new bookings for standard freight containers from the Far East to the Gulf, covering the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq. The decision reverses a March 4 suspension triggered by...
High-Tech Switches as the Key to Project Success
Europe’s rail networks are facing higher traffic, tighter construction windows, and the need for uninterrupted service. Voestalpine Railway Systems addresses these challenges by fully pre‑assembling and testing turnouts in a factory environment, shifting complex work off the track. The company...
The World Is Watching Shipping — Now What?
The Maritime Attention Index (MAI) shows five spikes in public interest over the past five years, with two occurring in early 2026 due to sanctioned tanker seizures and the Hormuz closure. The index, which aggregates Google searches, Wikipedia views, social...
Silver47 Joins DOW's Critical Minerals Forum
Silver47 Exploration Corp. announced its membership in the Pentagon‑sponsored Critical Minerals Forum, a coalition aimed at securing domestic supply chains for defense‑critical minerals. The forum provides AI‑driven market intelligence and a project‑clearinghouse that links miners with investors and government agencies....
DB Cargo Has Equipped 60 Diesel Locomotives with the LEADER System in Just Four Months
DB Cargo has completed a rapid retrofit of its entire Class 77 diesel fleet, installing the LEADER driver‑assistance system on all 60 locomotives within four months. The digital tool, first proven on electric units since 2016, is designed to cut fuel...
Philippines Takes Delivery of Russian Oil After US Waiver
Petron Corp., the Philippines' largest refiner, received a shipment of roughly 13.5 million barrels of Russian crude after Washington granted a sanctions waiver for oil already loaded on tankers. The waiver, issued to mitigate supply shortages caused by the closure of...
Registration Opens for Splash Singapore
Registration opened for Splash Singapore, the first edition of an Asia‑focused shipowner conference slated for September 24 at Singapore’s Fairmont Hotel. The event, built on eight Maritime CEO Forum editions, promises a slide‑free, sales‑free format featuring senior CEOs from Performance Shipping,...
Mayan Train Advances Freight Ambitions
Mexico’s 1,500‑km Mayan Train, originally built for tourism, is now testing freight operations. Night trials employ three Wabtec‑supplied ES44AC diesel locomotives, each delivering 3.3 MW and equipped with European Train Control System (ETCS). The tests focus on coupling and positioning of...
HHLA: Rail Growth Outpaces the Road in 2025
HHLA reported 2025 results showing a 10.9% rise in intermodal volume to 1,982 TEU, with rail freight expanding 11.2% to 1,719 k TEU and overtaking trucks. Total revenue climbed 12% to €797 million (≈$870 million) and group revenue reached €1.756 billion (≈$1.915 billion). EBIT surged...
Barclays Sees 13–14 Million Bpd Oil Supply Loss From Prolonged Hormuz Disruption
Barclays estimates that a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz would remove 13‑14 million barrels per day from global oil supply, representing roughly 13% of projected 2026 demand. The bank warns that if the disruption extends into late April, Brent...
State Aid for Investment: A Driving Force for Railway Infrastructure
The European Commission has released new guidelines on state aid for railway infrastructure, updating the 2008 framework to include explicit rules for financing new lines, upgrades, and digital traffic‑management projects. The rules differentiate aid for interoperability from rolling‑stock modernization and...
Tesla’s Newest “Folding V4 Superchargers” Are Key to Its Most Aggressive Expansion Yet
Tesla has introduced a folding V4 Supercharger that lets 33% more units fit on a single truck, slashing deployment time by half and cutting installation costs about 20%. The new V4 cabinet delivers up to 500 kW per stall for passenger...
Iran's Hormuz Fee Push Spurs Focus on Malacca
Iran's bid to start charging a fee to vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz (Tehran never ratified the UNCLOS despite signing it in 1982) is making other countries ensure they don't encounter such risks in other chokepoints -- the Straits...
Taiwan Spends $600M Extra as LNG Prices Double
Taiwan spent an extra $600 million to secure LNG through June to replace lost Qatari supply 🇹🇼 💰 Taiwan’s Economic Minister said spot LNG prices are “about twice as high as long-term contract prices with Qatar” The island depends more on gas...
Hormuz: Open — But No Longer Free
The Strait of Hormuz is still physically open, but ships now sail only with explicit clearance. A new geopolitical filter has turned the waterway into a controlled corridor, requiring vessels to obtain permission before transiting. This system prioritizes certain cargoes—especially...
Pandora Selects Hardis WMS to Unify Global Jewelry Supply Chain
Pandora, the world’s largest jewelry retailer, selected Hardis Supply Chain as its global warehouse management system partner to modernize a complex, multi‑region supply chain. The configurable WMS will replace a rigid platform across manufacturing in Thailand, European distribution, and North...
Fuel Shock Pushes Thai Fishery Close to Shutdown
A sharp rise in diesel to about 39 baht ($1.11) per litre—driven by the US‑Israeli war on Iran—has left more than half of Samut Sakhon’s trawlers idle and threatens to shut down Thailand’s multibillion‑dollar fishing sector within days. Thailand exports roughly...
How U.S.A.I.D. Birth Control Meant for Africa Was Ruined
A Trump‑era memo reveals that roughly $9.7 million in contraceptives purchased by USAID for low‑income African nations became stranded in a Belgian warehouse after the agency was dismantled. By September 2025 only $1.6 million remained usable, while $8.1 million spoiled due to lack...
France Appoints Six Firms for PV Module Recycling
France selects six operators for PV module recycling capacity #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/h4W6IZISaO
Tanker Carrying Russian Oil Hit By Drone Attack in Black Sea
A Sierra Leone‑flagged Suezmax tanker, the Altura, was struck by drones near the Bosporus, damaging its bridge and engine room but causing no crew injuries. Turkish officials say the attack likely involved an unmanned underwater vehicle, a rare method in...
Saudi Arabia Ramps Yanbu Exports Toward 5 MMbpd as Hormuz Disruption Forces Rerouting
Saudi Arabia is accelerating crude exports from its Yanbu Red Sea terminals, aiming for a 5 MMbpd target as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed by Iran. The East‑West pipeline linking Abqaiq to Yanbu can handle 7 MMbpd, but 2 MMbpd are...
Gulf Crisis Could Cripple Energy Markets Until 2027
The FAT TAIL for the Persian Gulf crisis Prolonged energy disruption & economic dislocation THRU 2027, says @ProfessorKaren That assumes the conflict is resolved in April or May
Panic Fuel Buying Reveals Fragile Systems Before Collapse
Australians are "panic buying" fuel This is a classic early-stage crisis dynamic People fear shortages → they hoard → Local outages appear → which reinforces fear THIS IS WHAT FRAGILITY LOOKS LIKE BEFORE FAILURE This will happen in your country next
BHP Exec Says Energy Shocks Will Stall Climate Action and Strain Supply Chains
Geraldine Slattery, president of BHP’s Australian operations, warned that ongoing energy disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions are pushing nations to prioritize supply security over climate goals. The warning comes as oil prices have surged 35% and BHP faces pressure over...
Opening Strait of Hormuz Crucial for Global Energy Security
Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee agree that the opening the Strait of Hormuz is important Where's DOGE when you need to cut fraud and waste?
Iran's $2 Million Strait Fee Shows Mutual Benefit
Finally, a little commerce is moving in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranians benefit by charging up to $2 million for free passage and those who pass obviously benefit or they wouldn’t pay the transit fee. THREE CHEERS FOR COMMERCE. https://t.co/hzDa6MSkxF
Consumers Energy Seeks $350 M Delay of Hardy Dam Upgrades Amid Controversial Sale
Consumers Energy filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to push back the start of a $350 million spillway replacement at Michigan’s Hardy Dam until the end of 2028, citing the pending sale of the dam to Confluence Hydro....
Chick-Fil-A Deploys $50 Million to Build Lubbock Distribution Hub, Boosting West Texas Expansion
Chick-fil-A announced a $50 million investment in a new distribution and warehouse facility in Lubbock, Texas, slated to begin construction in May 2026. The hub will support the chain’s rapid restaurant rollout across West Texas, improve logistics efficiency, and create about...
ERP Software Blog Names 12 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply‑Chain Add‑Ons in 2026 Rankings
ERP Software Blog announced its 2026 Best Microsoft Dynamics ERP Tools for Supply Chain, recognizing 12 specialized add‑ons that extend Dynamics 365. The independently curated list underscores the growing demand for AI‑enabled, industry‑specific supply‑chain functionality, a core service area for...
Dangote Refinery Leverages Middle‑East Crisis to Expand Africa’s Downstream Market
Aliko Dangote’s refinery has lifted its ex‑depot gasoline price to N1,285 per litre – its fifth hike in March – as the U.S.–Israel war on Iran pushes crude to $120 a barrel. The move deepens Dangote’s downstream foothold while sparking...