Today's Supply Chain Pulse
U.S.-Iran Interim Deal Reopens Hormuz, Eases Oil Supply Strain
The United States and Iran signed an interim peace memorandum that normalizes traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, ending the naval blockade. President Trump warned that strategic petroleum reserves are draining fast, with Cushing, Oklahoma inventories just above 20 million barrels, the lowest level in years. The agreement also lifts Treasury waivers and releases roughly $24 billion in frozen assets.
Also developing:
By the numbers: USA Rare Earth secures $1.6B federal funding under CHIPS Act
MG Mulls Positioning Shift as European Production to Lift Prices
MG, owned by China’s SAIC, is moving toward building its first European factory, likely in Spain or Hungary, to produce electric vehicles for its strongest market. The shift will erase the 45% tariff that currently penalises Chinese‑built EVs, but it also means losing the low‑cost advantage of Chinese manufacturing. MG’s Europe head, William Wang, says the brand must now compete on brand strength and technology, such as its semi‑solid‑state battery, rather than price. Production could start as early as next year, focusing on EVs rather than its hybrid SUVs.
CPO Crunch: Stoking Procurement’s Creative Fire
The upcoming Procurement Leaders CPO‑only retreat, Ovation, will spotlight "Creative fuel, visionary futures," giving chief procurement officers dedicated time to explore right‑brain thinking alongside geopolitics, AI and resilience. Speakers include the LSE president and a creative‑agency CEO, underscoring a push...
Pan Ocean Bulks up with Qingdao Beihai Newcastlemaxes
South Korea’s Pan Ocean exercised options for two additional Newcastlemax bulk carriers at Qingdao Beihai, bringing its order at the Chinese yard to four vessels worth roughly $308 million. The ships, each costing about $77 million, are slated for delivery by October 2030...
Middle East War Disrupts Pharma Air Routes, Risks Cancer Drugs Supply
The war sparked by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran has shut key Gulf air hubs, disrupting temperature‑sensitive pharmaceutical shipments. Major cargo airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha are closed, forcing drugmakers to reroute flights and rely on overland...
How Clean Core ERP Has Evolved Into a Mandate
Manufacturers are embracing a "clean core" ERP strategy that keeps the system as close to SAP’s standard as possible, routing all extensions through released APIs or side‑by‑side apps. SAP’s clean‑core level framework categorises extensions by upgrade risk, giving global supply‑chain...
GiantEye Project Aims to Transform Large-Scale Industrial CT Inspection
The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS is developing the GiantEye high‑energy CT platform to scan large, dense industrial objects that traditional scanners cannot accommodate. By adopting a medical‑CT‑style rotating gantry, the system can image items in their natural horizontal...
ZEISS and Verus Metrology Partner to Advance Metrology Automation
ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions and Verus Metrology announced a strategic partnership to develop automated metrology solutions for industrial inspection. The collaboration merges ZEISS’s optical and coordinate‑measuring hardware with Verus’s custom automation platforms and fixture designs. Together they will create integrated...
PiXARGUS Optimizes Inline Plastic Profile Inspection with ProfilControl 7 PlastX
PiXARGUS has launched ProfilControl 7 PlastX, an inline inspection system tailored for plastic profiles, especially in window construction. The solution trims hardware to a lightweight sensor head while leveraging advanced software to detect surface flaws and geometric deviations. By using only four...
ActionPlas Invests in Advanced CMM to Meet Demanding F1 Tolerances
ActionPlas Group has allocated a £1 million investment to acquire an Altera M 20.12.10 coordinate measuring machine from LK Metrology, targeting the stringent tolerances demanded by a Formula 1 client. The new CMM, equipped with a Renishaw SP25M scanning probe and LK CAMIO 2025...
World Rail Freight News Round-Up
The world rail freight market is seeing a wave of modernization and sustainability initiatives. Zambia Railways and Norfolk Southern have secured contracts to upgrade diesel fleets, with the latter introducing AC traction to boost capacity. European operators are expanding services,...
Why Supply Chain Design Becomes the Differentiator as AI Automates Planning - with Don Hicks of Optilogic
In this episode, Don Hicks, CEO of OptiLogic, explains how AI‑native platforms are reshaping supply chain design by running planning and network design in parallel, turning supply chains from brittle, cost‑centric structures into resilient, flexible networks. He contrasts fast, heuristic‑driven...
The Giant Vending Machine Company Compounding at 15% With Zero Debt
A European maker of vertical storage units—often called giant vending machines—has been compounding earnings at roughly 15 % while carrying zero interest‑bearing debt. The firm boasts a sustained 35 %+ ROIC over three years, over 140 000 machines installed worldwide, and a near‑€1 billion...
BMW I3 Cuts Supply Chain CO2e Emissions by a Third
BMW announced that its upcoming i3 sedan will slash supply‑chain carbon‑dioxide‑equivalent emissions by roughly one‑third compared with industry averages. The vehicle incorporates about 30% secondary materials, including high‑recycled‑content aluminium and PET plastics, and its Gen 6 battery cells emit 33% less...
MSC Realigns Uswasa Service
MSC announced a strategic realignment of its USA‑Africa Uswasa service, moving the Ivory Coast port call from San Pedro to Abidjan to streamline its West African network. The revised rotation now links New York, Baltimore and Savannah with key African hubs such...
Why Use MetalMiner for Metal Price Forecasting?
MetalMiner provides metal price forecasting services tailored to U.S. manufacturers, combining proprietary price indices, market‑signal forecasts, and support/resistance analysis. Its indices aggregate 10‑15 years of data and are normalized to reflect the actual mix of metals bought by U.S. firms....
Jinjiang Shipping Presses Ahead with Newbuild Plan
Shanghai‑listed Jinjiang Shipping has placed an order for four 1,900 TEU boxships from Jiangsu New Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, with options for another four of the same design. Each vessel is priced at roughly RMB 205 million ($29.7 million), forming part of a broader RMB 1.94 billion investment to...
XCMG From Going Global to Taking Root at CONEXPO 2026
XCMG Group marked its 11th appearance at CONEXPO‑CON/AGG 2026, shifting from pure export to deep North American market roots. The Chinese maker displayed 35 machines built for local conditions and unveiled the PRO Series, featuring AI‑driven interfaces and self‑diagnostics. XCMG...
Molicel Achieves RBA Silver Status, Setting a New Benchmark for Ethical Battery Manufacturing
Molicel announced that its manufacturing plant has earned Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) Silver Status after a rigorous third‑party audit. The certification confirms compliance with the RBA Code of Conduct across labor, health and safety, environmental stewardship, ethics, and management systems....
Impact of Gulf War: Input Costs Make Electronics, Cars & More Goods Expensive
The Gulf war has triggered a sharp rise in input costs for plastics, resins and polymers, pushing up international freight rates and weakening the rupee. Indian manufacturers across automotive, consumer electronics, appliances, paints and footwear are planning price hikes of...
2027 CCJ Career Leadership Award Recipient Is Kroger's Dan Umphress
Dan Umphress, a veteran of the trucking industry, was named the 2027 CCJ Career Leadership Award recipient. After leading fleet operations at FedEx Freight, he revitalized Kroger’s aging delivery fleet, slashing maintenance costs and introducing LED trailer lights for safety. He...
Singapore Bunker Sales Eased in February
Marine fuel sales at Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub, slipped 10.6% month‑on‑month in February to 4.67 million tonnes, though they were 12.8% higher than a year earlier. Low‑sulphur VLSFO volumes fell 9.8% and high‑sulphur fuel oil dropped 15.2%, while alternative...
Saudi Reroutes Oil via Red Sea Amid Hormuz Closure
♦️Here’s a striking example of how a closure of the Strait of Hormuz can reshape global oil flows—and how Saudi Arabia can rapidly adapt by diverting supplies from its eastern fields to western Red Sea terminals. ♦️A VLCC oil tanker was...
Tackling Complexity with Smart Automation
Swiss 3PL Alloga modernized its Bern distribution center by integrating Interroll’s Modular Conveyor Platform with Flück Fördertechnik. The modular, zero‑pressure accumulation system increased transport capacity, boosted throughput by 45% and expanded storage within the existing footprint without interrupting operations. Custom...
How the Pentagon Is Working to Wriggle Out of China’s Rare-Earths Grip
The Pentagon warned that the United States remains 95% dependent on China for rare‑earth minerals, a vulnerability that threatens national‑security supply chains. In response, the Defense Department has pledged over a billion dollars in direct investments and secured billions in...
How Captain Fresh Is Wiring AI Into a $600-Billion Seafood Supply Chain
Captain Fresh, an Indian unicorn founded in 2020, is using artificial intelligence to overhaul the $600 billion global seafood supply chain. The startup embeds AI in both its acquisition engine—automating due‑diligence and decision‑making—and its proprietary digital operating system that links fishermen,...
Everllence Secures Contract to Supply Compression Technology
Everllence won a contract to deliver two RB compressor skids for Thailand’s inaugural carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at PTTEP’s Arthit gas field. The compressors, paired with Solar Turbines gas turbines, will enable capture and offshore storage of up...
US and Chile Launch Talks to Secure Critical Minerals
US-Chile critical minerals talks open to secure copper, lithium, and rare earth supply chains. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/us-chile-critical-minerals-talks-kick.html
You Must Choose: Reduce NA Trade or Cut China
“You can have less Mexico and Canada, 👉or you can have less China, 💥but you can’t have both.” ✍️Antonio Ortiz Mena, a former Mexican diplomat and professor at Georgetown University. https://t.co/h15MGpAnEg
Chinese Firms Investing in Development of Logistics Hubs in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan
China Railway Construction Engineering Group signed an agreement with a joint venture of Uzbekistan Railways and Kazakhstan’s PTC Holding to build Silkway Central Asia, an $84 million, 159‑hectare logistics hub near Tashkent. The first phase should be operational by 2027, with...
Vietnam Faces Flight Cuts After Regional Jet Fuel Bans
Vietnam braces for flight cuts from April after China, Thailand ban jet fuel exports https://t.co/acAdeGg5Sf
Escorts Aren't a Sideshow; Expertise Matters in Maritime Strategy
“Escorts are a sideshow” 🤡🤡 Now I’ve been critical of our ability to surge enough destroyers to conduct effective convoys…. But “sideshow”?? And what qualifies an energy advisor to understand maritime choke points? 60 Minutes should have called Sal @mercoglianos
Additional LNG Exports From Plaquemines LNG Approved
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright approved a 13% increase in exports from Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG terminal, adding up to 0.45 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) for non‑FTA destinations. The move raises the facility’s authorized capacity to 3.85 Bcf/d, combining both...
US‑Owned, Marshall‑Flagged Bulker Bolts Through Strait
The Star Bulk bulker Star Gwyenth bolted and made the run though the Strait and out. She is Marshall Is-flagged but US owned. https://t.co/2eQ7Lwqh17
CPO Is Inevitable, Not Imminent, Now Echoed by Cisco
Cisco just based their whole presentation on my theme from a year ago that “CPO is inevitable but not imminent” - original article. https://t.co/mQzqMJLylu
Trump Threatens Xi Summit Delay If China Doesn’t Help in Hormuz
Donald Trump warned that he would postpone his upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping unless Beijing assists in securing the Strait of Hormuz. The demand came amid a US‑Israel war that has tightened global oil supplies and highlighted the...
EU to Discuss Bolstering Middle East Naval Mission
European Union foreign ministers will discuss strengthening the Aspides naval mission, which currently patrols the Red Sea to protect merchant vessels from Houthi attacks. The mission operates two ships directly, with additional support from French and Italian vessels, and officials...
EU Doesn’t See Risks to Oil and Gas Supply Yet
In ad‑hoc meetings on March 12, the EU’s Gas and Oil Coordination Groups reported no immediate security‑of‑supply risks despite ongoing Middle East tensions. Oil inventories across member states remain at elevated levels, while gas storage fill rates are stable and not...
Carbon Pricing Impact Depends on Supply Chain Coverage
Quick explainer of how the Food Dude's math is wrong (again) today: when you think about the impact of carbon pricing on fuel costs (diesel in this case), what matters is which parts of the supply chain are covered and...
The 50 Geoeconomic Minds Every CEO Should Be Reading in 2026
Geoeconomic thinking has moved from an academic niche to the core of foreign‑policy and corporate decision‑making. A relatively small cohort of about twenty scholars, including Luttwak, Farrell and Newman, shape how governments design sanctions, control technology and assess supply‑chain risk....
Chokepoints: Repeated Disruptions Threaten Global Trade
🚨WHY CHOKEPOINTS ARE IMPORTANT?🚨 Think about the issues we have experienced with maritime chokepoints over the last five years. 2021: Ever Given shut down the Suez Canal for 6 days. 2022: Russia invades Ukraine and disrupts the Turkish Strait. 2023-24: Panama Canal lower water...
Data Drives the Future of Semiconductor Manufacturing
#Technology #Newsletter #Semiconductor #Manufacturing #Data NLOG-295 | Semiconductor And Beyond Newsletter | The Semiconductor Data Supply Chain: https://newsletter.chetanpatil.in/p/semiconductor-and-beyond-newsletter-295/
U.S. War Deepens Iran's Dictatorship, Raises Gas Prices
He puts his name on everything, so let’s make sure his name is on this, too: —> “Overall, it has not toppled Iran’s dictatorship and might have strengthened it. We helped install a younger supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who may be...
Trucking Volumes Rise, Showing Oil Spikes Aren’t Slowing Economy
No sign that oil spikes are hurting the domestic economy. Trucking volumes continue to accelerate. +8% YoY and has now cleared 2024 comps. Despite the noise, the signal coming from freight is that activity in the domestic goods economy is...
Freight Market Stable, Contract Rates Rising, Panic Unfounded
Trucking spot rates are incredibly stable right now. Contract freight rates are still moving up. Tender volumes moving up. Tender rejections stable. The doomsday folks selling panic in freight markets are not looking at the data. https://t.co/R8VVxcYhOv
Beyond Skills: Leveraging Competency Drives Procurement Excellence
“Having gr8 technical competency is no longer what distinguishes top-notch #procurement functions from those that are mediocre or run-of-the-mill. How we nurture & leverage that competency across the org. is what truly counts.” https://t.co/s48vDbFr5l #purchasing #supplychain https://t.co/rfZNNW04Dr
Urgent Call: Allied Warships Needed in Hormuz
Strait of Hormuz Update 15 March 2026 1⃣ Five Maritime Stories from Around the World 2⃣ Strait of Hormuz/Persian Gulf Update 3⃣ The Call for Allied Warships 4⃣ Minesweepers 5⃣ Historical Parallel to Strait of Hormuz Video: https://t.co/ETPsN2XFIX https://t.co/oOEKhMM28I
Truckers Share Toughest and Easiest Damaged Loads
Truckers: what was the hardest damaged product you’ve gotten stuck with to get rid of? (And what was the easiest) https://t.co/XLr2awqVNu
Global Tensions Trigger Fertilizer Shortage, Food Price Surge
More supply chain extension of Iran war. China halts fertilizer exports. How does Trump’s trade war with Canada and Canadian potash fit here for US farmers? Which can affect the E2E food supply chain. That supply-inflation loop.
Red Sea Swarms with Tankers as Hormuz Remains Closed
MAP OF THE DAY: While the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed (other than a few tankers, notably from India), the Red Sea is witnessing the arrival of an oil tanker armada to the Saudi terminals there. (Tracking via @TheTerminal) (Blue...
Confectionery Supply Chains Brace for Conflict‑Driven Shortages
Confectionery supply chains are bracing for shortage risk as conflict escalation impacts trade routes, freight and energy - pressuring ingredients + packaging inputs. Actions: rapid risk review, alternate sourcing, stronger visibility. #SupplyChain #Confectionery https://t.co/9CBpZa8x6A