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
The Druzhba Pipeline: Europe’s Soviet-Era Oil Artery in the Crossfire of War and Sanctions
On 27 January 2026 a Russian Shahed drone struck Ukraine’s Brody pumping station, shutting the Druzhba pipeline’s southern branch that supplies Russian Urals crude to Hungary and Slovakia. The outage, now in its 27th day, has cut 60‑70 % of feedstock for MOL Danube and Slovnaft Bratislava, prompting Slovakia to declare an oil emergency and both countries to ban diesel exports to Ukraine. Russia is losing an estimated €50‑100 million in monthly revenue, while the incident intertwines energy logistics with Hungary’s veto of a €90 billion EU loan to Kyiv. The disruption forces Europe to accelerate diversification away from the last major Russian crude pipeline.
Aveva Buys First Green Jet Fuel Certificates Five Years Early
Aveva announced it has completed its first major purchase of sustainable aviation fuel certificates (SAFcs) five years ahead of its World Economic Forum First Movers Coalition commitment. The certificates were bought from British Airways, which sources the fuel from renewable...
Confessions Of Supply Chain Executives | 2026 Is the Year Supply Chain Technology Stops Being a Prediction and Starts Being...
In this episode, host Chris Walton and Amir Khoshniyadi, VP at Williott, dissect five supply‑chain trends that will define 2026, emphasizing that technology adoption is moving from pilot‑phase hype to mandatory, budget‑driven implementation. They explain "physical AI" as the fusion...
DRDGold Moots Plan to Buy Sasol’s Cyanide Facility
DRDGOLD CEO Niël Pretorius warned that South Africa’s sole cyanide producer, Sasol, is scaling back sodium cyanide output, creating a looming supply gap for gold miners. He suggested a consortium of local gold producers purchase the plant and partner with...
Paris Launches Tender for up to 300 Double-Decker EMUs
Paris Île‑de‑France Mobilités and SNCF Voyageurs have issued a single‑supplier tender for up to 300 new double‑deck EMUs on the RER C line, with a firm order for 52 units valued at up to €1.5 billion. The €8 billion framework could ultimately replace...
DAT's Hidden Clause Lets Them File UCCs—Seek Lawyer
This is sketchy even for DAT standards. DO NOT SIGN DAT’s standard agreement without an attorney reviewing. We’ve had multiple reports of DAT filing UCCs against companies that sign their standard agreement. They snuck language into their terms and conditions that...
Neolix Sets Robovan Test Miles Record
Neolix announced its autonomous robovan fleet has exceeded 100 million kilometres of real‑world driving, becoming the first company in the segment to reach this milestone. The record validates its self‑driving technology at massive scale and demonstrates reliability across diverse environments. The...
Supply Chain Cyber Risk Strategies Shift Toward Resilience
Supply chain cyber risk is moving from a pure prevention mindset to a resilience‑first strategy. Third‑party exposure dominates, with 61% of firms reporting a supplier breach in the past year, prompting tighter transparency and governance. AI accelerates both attacks—often under...
Miami International Airport Reports Sixth Year of Cargo Growth
Miami International Airport announced its sixth consecutive year of cargo growth, with 2025 shipments rising 13.6% to nearly 3.5 million tons. The airport handled a record 3 million tons in 2024, a 9% increase over 2023, and 84% of volumes were international....
The Benefits of Leveraging a Canadian Warehouse or 3PL for American Companies with Canadian Orders
U.S. companies with regular Canadian orders are re‑evaluating fulfillment strategies as border delays, rising transportation costs, and recent tariff changes erode the efficiency of U.S‑centric models. Positioning inventory in Canada—either via owned warehouses or third‑party logistics providers—removes the final customs...
Glasgow Prestwick Showcases Cool Chain Capability to India
Glasgow Prestwick Airport showcased its upgraded cool‑chain infrastructure to India’s Consul General, Siddharth Malik, as part of a push to capture a larger slice of post‑Brexit UK‑India trade. The visit highlighted the airport’s integrated, in‑house cargo model, bonded warehouse space...
ZIM Revises Levant Black Sea Express Service Rotation
ZIM announced a restructuring of its Levant Black Sea Express (LBX) service, shifting to a fortnightly sailing schedule. The carrier removed Piraeus from the rotation and added Varna, Bulgaria, creating a new loop of Ashdod, Haifa, Constanta and Varna. The...
2026 FleetOwner 500: For-Hire List
FleetOwner’s 2026 FO500 for‑hire ranking shows little movement at the top, with Schneider National edging past TFI International to claim the sixth spot while the top‑ten list remains unchanged. Growth among lower‑ranked carriers is driven largely by mergers and acquisitions,...
Eroded Driver Standards Driving Fatal Truck Accidents Up
Fatal accidents involving heavy duty trucks have doubled on a per mile basis since 2010. This is despite all of the technology and systems implemented that should make trucking safer: anti lock brakes, trailer side guards, collision avoidance systems, automatic transmissions. Many...
‘Buy American’ Shifts to ‘Don’t Buy Chinese’ for Government Solar Projects
The federal government’s solar procurement is pivoting from a broad "Buy American" stance to a targeted "Don’t Buy Chinese" approach. The 2021 Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act still requires 55% domestic content, but agencies frequently seek waivers when U.S.-made...
ZigZag Partners with Vinted Go to Meet Rising Demand for Locker Returns
ZigZag has integrated Vinted Go into its carrier library, extending its out‑of‑home (OOH) returns network to more than 14,000 locker and shop locations across France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. The partnership gives ZigZag‑connected retailers immediate access to Vinted...
Tanker Carrying Russian Crude Heads for Cuba as US Pressure Grows
A Hong Kong‑flagged tanker loaded with Russian diesel used offshore ship‑to‑ship transfers near Cyprus and repeatedly altered its AIS data to conceal a planned delivery to Cuba. The vessel’s draft increase and route changes suggest deliberate evasion of U.S. sanctions that...
Zim Takeover Raises Questions for Transpac Shippers – and MSC
Hapag‑Lloyd’s pending acquisition of Zim will reshape the Asia‑US east‑coast trade, especially the five vessel‑sharing services currently run with MSC. The carrier can either keep Zim’s premium, time‑sensitive strings separate or fold them into the Gemini alliance, each option raising...
Italy Braces for Nationwide Rail Strike in Final Weekend of February
Italy is preparing for a 24‑hour nationwide rail strike from Friday night to Saturday. The walkout follows a Thursday aviation strike that was postponed to avoid clashing with the Milan‑Cortina Winter Olympics. Unions cite poor working conditions, safety concerns, and...
Clark: Managing Third- and Fourth-Party Cyber Risk in Trucking Operations
Third‑party vendors are now a primary attack vector for trucking firms, with 35.5% of all data breaches in 2024 traced to external partners—a 6.5% rise year‑over‑year. The report also notes that 4.5% of breaches originated from fourth‑party suppliers, highlighting deep...
Advice on Index-Linked Contracts in Ocean Container Shipping and Why You Need Xeneta – Geography and Data Granularity
The blog explains that successful ocean container index‑linked contracts require an index that mirrors the specific trade lanes and geographic scope of a shipper’s routes. Using a mismatched index, such as a Shanghai export benchmark for India‑to‑Europe shipments, can lead...
European Dominance in Global Container Shipping Market
European container carriers now control 55.5% of capacity among the top 30 operators, according to Alphaliner’s latest data for week 08 of 2026. This share eclipses the combined 38.6% held by carriers based in Asia and the Middle East. The...
EU: ‘TRIPP Could Be 25% Faster than BTK’ and Help Secure Raw Materials
An EU report says the proposed Trans‑Caucasus Railway (TRIPP) corridor through southern Armenia could be up to 25 % faster than the existing Baku‑Tbilisi‑Kars (BTK) line. The project would create a US‑backed, long‑term lease railway linking Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave...
Uganda to Link New Railway Line to Tanzania, Opening up New Export Route
Uganda announced plans to connect its new standard gauge railway to Tanzania’s under‑construction rail network. The line would run from the Tanzania border through southwestern Uganda to Mpondwe on the DRC frontier, linking mineral‑rich regions to the port of Dar...
Supply Chain Disruption Cost Firms Us$1 Million per Year
DP World’s latest report shows that 38 % of North American cargo owners lose at least $1 million each year due to supply‑chain disruptions, with half experiencing more than a month of downtime in severe years. While 71 % report rising customer complaints,...
Airfreight Faces a Pivotal Reset
The airfreight sector spent 2025 reacting to a cascade of regulatory mandates, tariff uncertainty, rising cargo theft, and airport congestion. Forwarders faced uneven demand and shifting freighter networks, making operational agility the year’s defining trait. Expanded Air Cargo Advance Screening...
Kuala Lumpur’s Cargo Ambition
Kuala Lumpur is accelerating its ambition to become a regional air‑cargo hub through a partnership between MMAG Aviation Consortium and digital‑logistics firm BluOrbit. The alliance blends MMAG’s ground‑handling and terminal assets with BluOrbit’s real‑time tracking, automated documentation and route‑optimisation platform,...
Air Cargo Belgium Drives E-Commerce Growth
Air Cargo Belgium is cementing Belgium’s role as Europe’s e‑commerce gateway, processing over one billion parcel declarations in 2024 and aiming for 1.5 billion by the end of 2025. The organization relies on AI, data‑driven practices and digital pilots to streamline...
Seattle-Tacoma and the Pacific Pivot
Seattle‑Tacoma International Airport (SEA) logged a record‑high 460,062 metric tonnes of cargo in 2024, a 10.3% year‑over‑year increase. The surge is powered by high‑value aerospace, electronics and tech exports that command premium freight rates, as well as robust domestic e‑commerce...
UK Drone Rules Risk Splintering Sector and Stalling Innovation
The UK Civil Aviation Authority plans to enforce new drone rules from January 2026, requiring a UKCA conformity mark and conspicuity devices on drones as light as 100 g. Industry leaders warn that the lack of a transition period and the...
Air Cargo Looks to South America
Air cargo stakeholders are turning to South America as a growth market, highlighted by IATA’s decision to host the 2026 World Cargo Symposium in Lima, Peru. The region’s surge in perishable and high‑value shipments is prompting carriers and forwarders to...
CMA CGM Renews ULD Agreement with Jettainer
CMA CGM Air Cargo has signed a long‑term extension of its unit load device (ULD) partnership with Jettainer, the Lufthansa Cargo‑owned ULD solutions provider. The agreement gives CMA CGM access to Jettainer’s network of more than 100,000 ULDs across 500 global...
Armenia’s Not Getting Off the Struggle Bus Just Yet
Armenia’s aging Soviet‑era nuclear reactor leaves the country on the brink of an energy crisis, and Moscow’s dwindling support after the Ukraine war has removed its traditional security backstop. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance recently signed a nuclear cooperation deal...
Trenitalia to Purchase 74 Additional Frecciarossa 1000 High-Speed Trains
Trenitalia announced a €2 billion high‑speed expansion, adding 74 Frecciarossa 1000 trains by the end of the decade. The new units will increase frequency on Italy’s busiest corridors and support cross‑border services. Simultaneously, the company is renewing its regional fleet, aiming for...
Eurogate and Embotech Launch Second Autonomous Terminal Tractor Pilot in Hamburg
Eurogate and Embotech have launched a second autonomous terminal tractor pilot at the Hamburg marine terminal, moving containers between the railway and quay. The six‑month trial shifts focus from technical feasibility, proven in Wilhelmshaven, to operational performance metrics such as...
Labour MP Warns UK Exposed to Subsea Cable Threat
Labour MP Graeme Downie warned that the UK is dangerously exposed to disruption of its undersea cable network. He cited the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, noting that about 98% of internet traffic travels through these cables, making...
How Is Georgian Rail Freight Adapting to the Current Geopolitical Landscape?
Georgia’s rail freight accounts for about 10‑12% of national cargo volume but roughly 30% of transit flows, underscoring its strategic role in Eurasian connectivity. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, rail volumes surged 22% in 2022 and turnover jumped...
IEEPA Refunds Require Complex Paperwork, Not Automatic
On the IEEPA ruling and refunds. As we see many posts saying that it will be the importer who gets the money back, it’s good to remember that this will not be an easy process. Just like in the UK,...
Don’t Overengineer Procurement: Match Solutions to Problem Scale
“Some #procurement change initiatives end up applying a Rolls-Royce solution to a mini-car problem, resulting in the high risk of ineffectiveness.” 🔗 https://t.co/6TgpmcYe7z #purchasing #supplychain https://t.co/k9MI9F8Iuj
Leanshoring: Winning with Customers by Bringing the Business Closer
Global supply‑chain shocks and tariff volatility are prompting U.S. firms to reconsider offshoring. Jim Womack’s "leanshoring" model combines lean manufacturing with reshoring, demanding a full‑cost analysis that accounts for risk, intellectual property and skill loss. GE Appliances illustrates the approach,...
Heavy‑Duty Truck Fatalities Rise 40% Over Decade
You should be. Fatalities involving heavy duty trucks are up 40% in the past decade
For‑Hire Drivers Leaving Could Trigger Major Capacity Crunch
You aren’t bullish enough. Derek Leathers suggests that a large portion of the drivers that are being forced out of the industry operate in the for-hire segment and the capacity crackdown could be significant. https://t.co/wU6Q1k0USz
Qualcomm–Tata Tie-Up for Automotive Module Manufacturing
Qualcomm Technologies and Tata Electronics have signed a partnership to produce Qualcomm Automotive Modules at Tata's new semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) facility in Assam, India. The $3 bn greenfield plant will integrate Snapdragon Digital Chassis system‑on‑chips into ready‑to‑deploy automotive modules...
€500k Reward for Info on Missing Dark‑Fleet Tanker
Reward offered for ‘missing’ dark fleet VLCC Posts on LinkedIn claims to offer EUR500,000 for information on the location of false-flag tanker Omra https://t.co/fTaXxotoFD
Mencía Bobo: From Financier To Trusted Trade Advisor
Santander has rolled out Invensa, an inventory‑finance solution that lets the bank hold physical stock for clients, easing balance‑sheet constraints amid volatile supply chains. The bank also introduced Navigator Global, a platform that blends financing with market intelligence to act...
US Supreme Court Voids Trump Tariffs as Ports Warn of Uncertainty
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6‑3 that President Trump exceeded his authority by imposing global tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, effectively nullifying those duties. Trump immediately announced a new 10% worldwide tariff using a different statutory basis,...
Trade Union: “The Last Word Has Not yet Been Spoken” On DB Cargo Layoffs
DB Cargo, Deutsche Bahn’s freight subsidiary, will cut 6,200 jobs – about half its staff – as part of a restructuring aimed at profitability by the end of 2026. The plan, led by CEO Bernhard Osburg, targets the single‑wagonload segment,...
Bentley Commits to Use 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel for Car Airfreight
Bentley Motors announced it will use 100 % sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for every customer car air‑freight shipment worldwide, effective immediately. The move is part of the brand’s “Beyond100+” sustainability programme, which targets full carbon‑neutrality by 2030 and a shift to...
VTG Gets Ready for Another Rail Highway in Spain
VTG is preparing to launch a new rail‑highway service linking the port of Huelva with Córdoba, using its T4000 wagons and the r2L loading system developed with Vega. The route will be operated by AthosRail and will carry semi‑trailers supplied...
Readers Speak: Hapag-Lloyd’s ZIM Deal Seen as Strategic Boost
Industry readers view Hapag‑Lloyd’s potential acquisition of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services as a strategic upgrade rather than mere consolidation. The deal would blend Hapag‑Lloyd’s global scale with ZIM’s strong Transpacific and niche trade exposure, enhancing network depth and fleet flexibility....