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
APM Terminals Liberia Establish Export Processing Centre in Liberia
APM Terminals Liberia and Global Logistics Services (GLS) announced a strategic partnership to build Liberia’s first dedicated Export Processing Centre, unveiled at the EU‑Liberia Business Forum in Brussels. The facility merges GLS’s local logistics know‑how with APM’s port‑operating capabilities to streamline the export value chain, offering greater visibility, speed and cost efficiency. It aligns with the EU’s Everything But Arms framework, granting duty‑free access to European markets. Over time, the centre aims to shift Liberia from raw‑material exports toward higher‑value trade, supporting the national ARREST Agenda.
Stryker Wins Supply Chain Resiliency Honors From HIRC
Stryker, the world’s fifth‑largest medical‑device maker, has been awarded the first Healthcare Industry Resiliency Collaborative (HIRC) Enterprise Gold Resiliency Badge for its overall supply‑chain performance. The badge, based on a third‑party assessment of demand planning, inventory management, visibility, supplier and...
Keynote Speakers Set to Inspire Industry with AI and Partnership Concepts at Wire Expo 2026
Wire Expo 2026 will convene May 5‑7 at Milwaukee’s Baird Center, uniting wire and cable manufacturers, suppliers, and industry leaders under the theme “Accelerating Progress Together ~ Where wire, innovation & industry connect.” The event features two high‑profile keynotes—John W. Mellowes on partnership‑driven steel strategy...
Dairy Manufacturing Prices Show Cautious Recovery Despite Global Oversupply, Rabobank Says
Rabobank’s Q1 Global Dairy Quarterly reports a modest rebound in dairy manufacturing prices, driven primarily by Australian and New Zealand products. Despite the rally, global milk supply remains abundant, with production growth projected to slow to just 0.2% in 2026 after...
Collision Avoidance, the AI Way
Australian firm 4AI Systems, spun out of a 2016 university robotics project, now offers AI‑driven perception suites that sit onboard trains to detect obstacles in real time. Israeli startup RailVision complements this approach with digital‑twin analytics, piloting video‑AI sensors on...
Upgraded HaiPick Climb Aims to Make the Aisle Obsolete
Hai Robotics has upgraded its HaiPick Climb system to support double‑deep storage and sub‑120‑second delivery cycles, enabling up to 4,000 tote deliveries per hour. The compact design can hold 45,000 totes within 10,764 sq ft, boosting inventory density without expanding warehouse footprints....
Building Successful Industrial Development Spaces
Railroad operators Norfolk Southern and Watco are actively courting manufacturers by offering tailored industrial‑development services and financing support. Watco has poured more than $600 million into projects such as Bartlett’s 49 million‑bushel soybean plant and Charlotte Pipe’s $80 million PVC facility, while NS...
Intermodal Focus: South Carolina Ports Authority
The South Carolina Ports Authority, now the No. 8 U.S. container port by volume, leverages the East Coast’s deepest harbor and a $3 billion expansion plan to reach 10 million TEUs. Recent investments include the Navy Base Intermodal Facility, capable of handling 14,000‑foot...
Action Needed to Avoid Memory Loss
U.S. federal contractors are facing a severe DRAM and NAND flash shortage driven by AI and data‑center demand, pushing commercial memory prices up more than 500 %. The scarcity is expected to persist through late 2027, with projected triple‑digit price hikes...
Airbus Delivers Only 35 Aircraft in February
Airbus delivered just 35 aircraft in February, a sharp drop from its annual target of 870 deliveries. The A320neo family made up 25 of those planes, while A220‑300 deliveries rose to eight and the A350 program added two jets, leaving...
EU Think Tank Warns Market Weaponization Needed to Counter China
Weaponise EU market against China or face manufacturing collapse: official think tank EUISS study urges bloc to “preserve and create technological chokepoints”, diversify markets away from China – in both instances mirroring long-term moves made by Beijing – to give it...
Military Production’s Nationwide Spread Fuels Trucking Demand
Due to the way that the military industrial complex works, manufacturing is a trucker's dream. Unlike other major manufacturing supply chains, like automotive, military production is highly distributed across the country. Suppliers are literally in all 50 states - so...
AXT’s Q4/2025 Revenue Constrained by Delay in China Export Permits
AXT Inc reported an 11% drop in full‑year 2025 revenue to $88.3 m, driven by an 8.4% Q4 decline caused by delayed Chinese export permits for indium phosphide. Gross margin fell to 13.1% while the company posted a $18 m net loss...
Oil Surge Boosts JBHT, HUBG and TFII
If you are looking for the best trucking play for the oil price surge, there are two primary beneficiaries: - Intermodal operators $JBHT and Hub Group $HUBG. Intermodal fuel surcharge is far below trucking fuel surcharges, so the intermodal carriers...
Organic Cotton Accelerator Reveals Next Phase of Scaling Strategy
The Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) unveiled its next‑phase scaling strategy aimed at building a resilient global organic cotton supply chain by 2030. The plan broadens impact metrics to include climate, biodiversity, and labor outcomes while introducing a pilot Farm Fund...
Tariff Uncertainty Expected to Weigh on U.S. Container Imports in First Half of 2026, NRF Says
The National Retail Federation’s Global Port Tracker projects U.S. container imports will stay below last‑year levels through the first half of 2026 due to lingering tariff uncertainty and geopolitical risk. After the Supreme Court struck down IEEPA tariffs, the Trump...
New $US 4bn Argentina - Chile Freight Corridor Proposed
Argentina’s provinces of Mendoza, San Juan and San Luis have unveiled a $4 bn Cuyo‑Pacific rail corridor linking the copper‑gold mining basins of San Juan and Mendoza and the Vaca Muerta shale complex to Chile’s Pacific ports. The plan calls for...
The US’s Critical Minerals Club Threatens an Equitable Clean Energy Transition
The United States is forming a critical‑minerals trading bloc aimed at breaking China’s dominance in supply chains for digital and defense technologies. The initiative downplays clean‑energy needs, even though analysis shows only a handful of the 33 minerals the UK...
A Recipe for Batch Processing Success
Valmet has launched FlexBatch 8, its latest ISA‑88‑compliant batch automation and recipe management software, now fully integrated with both Valmet DNAe and D3 DCS platforms. The solution lets operators create and modify recipes using a drag‑and‑drop interface, removing the need for...
Panasonic Connect Unveils Latest in Smart Manufacturing at APEX EXPO 2026
Panasonic Connect North America debuted a suite of smart‑manufacturing solutions at APEX EXPO 2026, including a new Auto‑Setting Feeder that cuts loading time by more than half. The showcase featured the NPM‑GP/L screen printer with 12‑second cycles and ±3.8 µm accuracy, the autonomous...
Prologis Adding On To Massive La Porte Logistics Park
Prologis broke ground on the final phase of its Port Crossing Commerce Center in La Porte, Texas, adding two new buildings totaling 290,000 square feet. The expansion pushes the park’s footprint above 2.7 million square feet across 11 structures, reinforcing...
Logistics.com Launches an Updated Transportation Procurement Platform
Logistics.com unveiled OptiBid 3, the latest version of its transportation procurement platform, enabling shippers to run multi‑mode freight bidding events and conduct advanced data analysis. The solution integrates directly with the company’s OptiManage 7 TMS, allowing procurement decisions to flow...
Precision Under Pressure: How Advanced Machining Is Reshaping Global Supply Chains
Advanced machining, especially Swiss‑type lathes, is reshaping supply chains across medical, aerospace, and automotive sectors. Companies now prioritize reliability, ultra‑tight tolerances, and scalable production over pure cost. The rise of complex, high‑precision components demands deep material expertise and integrated quality...
Higher Diesel Costs Outpaced by Rising Spot Rates
Diesel prices are up $1/gallon or $.14/mile versus a year ago. That is significant for truckers that operate in the spot market, but it is far from catastrophic. Trucking spot rates are up $.51/mile in that same period. Even with the...
Finnair Cargo Strengthens Digital Transformation with Accelya Platform
Finnair Cargo has renewed its partnership with Accelya, keeping the Accelya Cargo platform as the backbone of its commercial, operational, ground‑handling and revenue‑accounting functions. The platform automates rating, warehouse operations, billing and settlement, delivering end‑to‑end accuracy across Finnair’s cargo network....
France Deploys Warships, Europe Stays Engaged Amid Oil Surge
france sending warships to the med/red sea and potentially toward hormuz — framing it as “strictly defensive” and about freedom of navigation. message: europe won’t be (completely) sidelined as us–israel–iran escalation hits shipping lanes and pushes oil toward $100+.
Maritime Dominance Requires More than Shipyards: Chokepoints, Navies, Finance
President Trump’s push for “America’s Maritime Dominance” aims to break China’s grip on global shipbuilding. But shipyards are only one piece of maritime power. Th real contest runs through chokepoints, naval force, commercial fleets, and the insurance and financial systems...
Procure Impact Announces Partnership with Highgate to Advance Social Procurement Across Its Hotel Portfolio
Procure Impact has partnered with Highgate to embed social procurement across the hotel chain’s portfolio, creating curated marketplaces featuring more than 6,000 mission‑driven products. The collaboration will roll out in 2026, integrating these items into amenities and guest touchpoints. Highgate...
Premium Delivery Drives Loyalty; Poor Service Breaks Trust
Final mile = customer experience. Lisa Anderson is quoted in Kase’s white glove delivery article on why “premium” is about service depth (appointments, careful handling, install/placement) - and how poor delivery can damage brand loyalty. https://t.co/Nr9pu8LHqM #FinalMile
Tariffs Incrementally Push Retail Prices Higher in 2025
"The Slow Climb: How Tariffs Gradually Raised Retail Prices in 2025" via @federalreserve https://t.co/HJiDIY3j8v "consumers are in fact paying higher retail prices because of tariffs" 😮 https://t.co/SbgM6kbcPA
The Magnet Bottleneck Nobody’s Talking About (And China Controls 99% of It)
The article highlights a hidden bottleneck in the magnet supply chain: while the United States possesses rare‑earth deposits, it lacks domestic capacity to separate, purify, and produce permanent magnets. China controls roughly 99 % of the downstream magnet processing and manufacturing....
Pentagon Brands Anthropic with Supply-Chain Risk Label
The Pentagon’s supply-chain risk label — previously used only for foreign firms that present national security threats, like Chinese tech firm Huawei Technologies — is a “scarlet letter designation for Anthropic,” Wedbush Dan Ives wrote in a note https://t.co/gHeLolQfwf @nypost
Iran Strikes Container Ship and Assisting Tug in Hormuz
A tug boat was assisting a container ship that Iran attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then attacked the tug boat. https://t.co/Fb17MPTaD7
As Trump Tariff Refund Process Takes Shape, Importers Remain Uncertain
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced it will create a refund process for Trump‑era tariffs invalidated by the Supreme Court, aiming to launch within 45 days. The agency has not yet detailed how importers will file refunds in the Automated...
No Jones Act Discussions Allowed on This Platform
Just a quick reminder that I don’t discuss the Jones Act online. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Whole Battery Supply Chain Now Critical for Defense
Defense supply chains have changed and bettery manufacturers need to pay attention The entire supply chain matters now matters for defense systems, not just where battery cell are made *BIG* change that will reshape global supply chains #CriticalMinerals #Defense #USA https://t.co/cF3zGkKEtn
Bulgaria-North Macedonia Rail Border Crossing to Be Ready in 2030
Bulgaria and North Macedonia have agreed to complete their first rail border crossing by 2030, featuring a 2.4‑kilometre tunnel under the Deve Bair mountain. The tunnel, costing roughly €69 million, is slated for Bulgarian completion by the end of 2028, after...
Putin Warns Iran War Could Shut Hormuz Oil Flow
MOSCOW, March 9 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the Iran war had triggered a global energy crisis and cautioned that oil production dependent on transport through the Strait of Hormuz could soon come to a...
LNG Glut Vanishes, Raising Deficit Shock Concerns
And as the forecasted 2026 LNG supply glut disappeared, I couldn’t help but wonder… was I too one supply shock away from flipping into a deficit? https://t.co/gGw2ZO9NRr
‘Battery Atlas 2026’ Maps Europe’s Cell, Pack and Battery Manufacturers
The third edition of the Battery Atlas 2026, released by RWTH Aachen University, maps Europe’s entire lithium‑ion battery value chain. While more than 2,000 GWh of cell capacity was announced in 2023, the realistic outlook for early 2026 is about 1,190 GWh,...
Trump Urges Ships to Show Courage Amid Rising Deaths
How about no? Trump Tells Ships to ‘Show Some Guts’ in Hormuz as Seafarer Death Toll Rises https://t.co/jVzMgCqdbF
Iran Warns Oil Tankers to Tread Carefully in Hormuz
Oil tankers transiting Strait of Hormuz ‘must be very careful,’ Iran foreign ministry warns: CNBC $USO $XLE
The 1,550-Pound Gorilla – Part 4 of 5
The article examines the Union Pacific‑Norfolk Southern merger, describing it as a 1,550‑pound “gorilla” that will dominate U.S. rail markets. It estimates that 25% of 2 million truckloads—about 500,000 units—could shift to rail over 7‑10 years if rates justify the switch,...
New Pipeline Could Ease Hormuz Strait Oil Disruption
Read @JavierBlas on the oil pipeline that could ameliorate the closure of the Straight of Hormuz https://t.co/hfkrPgLpIy https://t.co/BIgHZhk6rA
Thermal Grizzly Loses $46K to Fake Metal Suppliers
Thermal Grizzly scammed out of $46,000 by Alibaba metals suppliers — company spread the risk across two copper and aluminum suppliers, only for both to send cheaper, fake materials https://t.co/7liDuS2RIf
Ter Hoek Expands Into Technical Ceramic Manufacturing with XJet Carmel 1400C 3D Printing Solution
Ter Hoek, a Dutch precision‑metal specialist, has adopted XJet’s Carmel 1400C ceramic 3‑D‑printing system, introducing NanoParticle Jetting (NPJ) technology to its production line. The move expands the company’s material portfolio from metals to high‑performance ceramics, enabling complex, high‑precision parts for aerospace, semiconductor...
Nowcast Shows Shipping Volumes Collapse, Dragging Economy
Some weekly inputs are coming into our nowcast-model today, and it looks pretty painful to be honest. Especially in growth terms. The shipping/trucking/export/import volumes look bad. Really bad. So this is starting to impact the economy (already)..
Stop Forecasting Oil, Start Preparing for Price Swings
Don’t Predict Oil Prices, Prepare for Them - https://t.co/MNGa0kJy3v #oilprices #peakoil #supplychain #logistics #riskmanagement #decisionscience
Iran Conflict Tests 2026 Air Cargo Outlook
Xeneta’s March 5 report warns that the Iran‑U.S./Israel conflict is reshaping the 2026 air cargo outlook. February showed a 6 % YoY volume rise and spot rates up 5 % to $2.58/kg, indicating resilience. With the Strait of Hormuz closed, jet‑fuel costs could...
Tankers Poised for 20‑30% Surge Despite Market Blindspot
Tankers should be surging, but broad market again missing forest (insanely strong markets, cascading inefficiency) for the trees (worry abt handful of ships at anchor). Top two public #shipping trades: $DHT ($18.36) $STNG ($77.75) Bookmark, check in a month. 20-30%+ potential.