Today's Supply Chain Pulse
50Hertz and Elia launch €752 million offshore HV cable logistics tender
German TSO 50Hertz and Belgian TSO Elia have issued a joint €752 million procurement for offshore high‑voltage cable repair logistics and jointing services. The framework spans multi‑year call‑off contracts from November 2027 to October 2035 and is divided into six lots, including three repair‑logistics lots worth €110 million each.
Also developing:
By the numbers: GIA acquires 30% stake in De Beers' Tracr blockchain platform
Swire Shipping Raises Rates for Multiple Services
Swire Shipping announced General Rate Increases for cargo bound for Townsville and Darwin in Australia and Dili in Timor‑Leste, effective for bills of lading dated on or after June 25 2026. The carrier will add a $300 surcharge per 20‑foot container and $600 per 40‑foot container to Townsville shipments, $200/$400 to Darwin, and $150/$300 to Dili. Swire attributes the hikes to rising operating expenses and higher vessel charter rates. Freight lanes regulated by the Federal Maritime Commission will still follow required notice procedures.
Trimble Launches Cloud-Native TMS for North American Shippers
Trimble unveiled a cloud‑native Transportation Management System tailored for North American shippers, linking its broader ecosystem to streamline fragmented logistics workflows. The AI‑integrated platform combines freight procurement, execution, visibility and settlement into a single, modular solution that can be expanded...
Established Manufacturing Footprint, New Technology: SK On’s US BESS Market Strategy
SK On is rolling out its second‑generation Grid On battery‑energy‑storage system (BESS) in the United States, building on its existing EV‑battery factories. The Gen2 unit fits in a standard 20‑foot ISO container, delivers 5 MWh of usable energy and offers 1‑,...
Sea Cargo Charter Members Hold Emissions Line Despite Shipping Turmoil
Charterers and shipowners in the Sea Cargo Charter (SCC) kept their climate performance steady in 2025 despite geopolitical turbulence and shifting trade patterns. Signatories were on average 11.6% behind the IMO’s minimum decarbonisation trajectory, a modest improvement from 12.2% the...
European Logistics Month to Launch in June 2027
Akabo Media announced European Logistics Month for June 2027, a coordinated platform that will host three flagship events across the UK and Germany. The schedule includes Urban Logistics in London (June 9‑10), IntraLogisteX Düsseldorf (June 16‑17) and the Responsible Supply Chain Conference in...
Logistics Leaders Navigate Cost and Automation
Logistics executives are grappling with rising shipping costs, higher service expectations, and persistent labor shortages. Gartner analyst David Gonzalez urged firms to adopt strict cost‑to‑serve models, prioritize pragmatic technology investments, and redesign infrastructure for automation. He highlighted that only about...
BIFA Welcomes New Customs Intermediary Standard to Strengthen Trader Relationships
The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has welcomed the British Standards Institute’s new Publicly Available Specification PAS 41201:2026, a framework for customs intermediaries. Sponsored by HMRC, the standard outlines good‑practice principles for customs declarations, data handling and compliance. BIFA, a key...
Sponsored: Westwell Rebuilds Air Cargo Operations Through AI-Native Logistics
Westwell is scaling its AI‑native logistics platform to air cargo hubs, deploying electric autonomous tractors and an intelligent operations layer across major Asian airports. The Q‑Tractor combines a self‑developed autonomous driving stack with centimetre‑level trailer coupling, delivering zero‑emission, 24/7 cargo...
ACL Reaches 80th Airport Milestone with Bucharest Slot Coordination Agreement
Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) has added Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport as its 80th airport, marking a major milestone in its global portfolio. The multi‑year agreement, effective from the Winter 2026 slot season, will see ACL provide full Level 3 slot...
Project Cargo Network Launches Associate Programme for Heavy Lift Logistics Support Sector
Project Cargo Network (PCN) has introduced an Industry Associate programme targeting firms that support heavy‑lift and project cargo operations. The membership offers visibility through PCN’s website, eMagazine, a LinkedIn audience of 33,000, and access to its annual summit and specialist...
The Maritime Action Plan Needs a Yardstick: Enter the Mahan Ratio
The Trump administration’s Maritime Action Plan aims to revive U.S. commercial shipping and shipbuilding, but it lacks a clear target for the size of the merchant fleet needed to support the Navy. The author proposes the Mahan ratio—merchant vessels divided...
EU Funding, Slow Progress: Railway Projects in the Western Balkans Are Behind Schedule
The European Court of Auditors warns that EU‑funded transport projects in the Western Balkans are falling behind schedule, jeopardising the 2030 deadline for a fully integrated core network. Since 2015 the EU has contributed roughly €899 million (about $980 million), with €527 million...
Sunstice Unveils Helios to Speed Up Supply Chain Decisions
Paris‑based Sunstice launched Helios, an AI‑driven layer that automates the analytical work of supply‑chain and sales‑planning teams. The platform uses specialized AI agents to diagnose demand‑supply imbalances, pinpoint disruption root causes, and evaluate scenario trade‑offs. Helios also includes an Agent...
SESCO Cement Opens Tampa Bay Import Terminal
SESC Cement inaugurated a new cement import terminal at Port Redwing in Tampa Bay. The facility holds nearly 100,000 tonnes of cement and features the largest wheel‑mounted ship unloader in operation. Once fully built, it will be Florida’s largest cement...
Why India’s Hydrogen Trucking Push Is Still Stuck in First Gear
India’s push to electrify long‑haul trucking with hydrogen is hampered by a stark cost gap and a skeletal refueling network. Fewer than five commercial hydrogen stations operate, while green hydrogen costs roughly $4‑$7 per kilogram versus the $1.5‑$2 target needed...
Mars Opens Australia’s Largest Cat Food Kitchen in Wodonga
Mars Petcare has opened a $112.6 million AUD (≈$74 million USD) cat‑food plant in Wodonga, Victoria, the largest of its kind in Australia. The facility can produce 290 million pouches each year for Whiskas, Dine, Optimum and Advance, raising local manufacturing of pet‑care...
How Automated Container Gantry Cranes Are Reshaping Port Operations in 2026
Automated container gantry cranes are reshaping port operations in 2026 as manufacturers like Voitto Crane roll out AI‑driven anti‑sway control, IoT‑based predictive maintenance and electric powertrains. These technologies cut cycle times by up to 20%, reduce unplanned downtime by 30%...
China Holds Critical Mineral Leverage Without Concessions
You're dreaming if you think China will give up this position without major concessions. US business group says some critical minerals are 'nearly unobtainable' from China https://t.co/JqnPIFziUj
VinFast Plans ₹7,000cr Tuticorin Expansion to Make E-Scooters & Buses
VinFast announced a Phase II expansion of its Tuticorin plant worth roughly ₹7,000 crore (about $840 million). The investment will broaden production beyond cars to include 10 lakh electric scooters and 2,000 electric buses per year, raising total capacity to 200,000 cars, 1 million scooters...
Euler Motors Plans to Double Capacity in Six Months on Robust Electric CV Demand
Euler Motors, the Delhi‑based electric commercial‑vehicle maker, plans to lift its monthly output from the current 1,000‑1,200 units to roughly 2,000 units within the next five‑to‑six months. The company is achieving this by adding modular production lines rather than a...
How Far Away Is the "Affordable Era" For All-Solid-State Batteries?
All‑solid‑state batteries remain 3‑5 times pricier than conventional lithium‑ion cells, costing roughly $0.22‑$0.31 per Wh versus $0.06‑$0.07 for LFP packs. Industry leaders CATL, BYD and Gotion target small‑scale production by 2027 and limited mass production by 2028, but high material costs—especially...
Bypass Pipelines’ Popularity Growing Rapidly
The Iran crisis has sharply reduced oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz, cutting roughly 20 million barrels per day from the global market. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iraq have shifted volumes onto existing pipelines, with Saudi’s East‑West line now...
What Is the Best Way to Manage Ecommerce Returns at Scale?
E‑commerce’s rapid growth has driven a surge in product returns, with roughly 30% of online purchases sent back versus under 9% in physical stores. In 2022 alone, U.S. consumers returned an estimated 3.5 billion items, accounting for about 16.5% of total...
US Urges China to Restart Rare‑earth Shipments to Japan
US asks China to resume rare-earth exports to Japan America requested measures to avoid damage to the global supply chain for high-tech products. China can make the same argument on US controls....there is a way out of this... https://t.co/G66YyPS8uy via @NikkeiAsia
Public, Private Sector Collaboration Keep Freight Moving on Inland Waterways
Public‑private collaboration is vital for keeping the Mississippi River freight corridor open. At FreightWeekSTL 2026, ACBL’s Randy Cham‑ness and Corps engineer Bradley Krischel discussed how coordinated dredging, data sharing, and infrastructure projects sustain a 9‑foot‑deep, 300‑foot‑wide navigation channel. The Corps oversees...
Survey: U.S. Manufacturers Sound Alarm About Rising Prices
A National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) survey released in June shows 83.1% of U.S. manufacturers now view rising raw‑material costs as their top challenge, up sharply from the first quarter. The surge follows a May consumer‑price index jump to a...
How Should Freight Leaders Evaluate AI Agent Adoption?
FreightWaves surveyed 68 freight professionals in early 2026 to gauge AI agent adoption across carriers, brokers, shippers, and owner‑operators. The findings show a shift from cautious evaluation toward pilot projects that automate repetitive tasks such as data entry, check calls,...
Amazon Opens Its LTL Trucking Service to All
Amazon announced that its Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS) unit will offer a full‑scale less‑than‑truckload (LTL) carrier to any shipper, expanding beyond the inbound‑only model used for its own fulfillment centers. The service leverages a fleet of more than 80,000...
FBI Warns of Rising Cargo Theft Threat
The FBI Philadelphia Field Office issued an alert warning that cargo theft scams have surged nationwide, driven by sophisticated cyber‑enabled tactics. Government data show 2025 cargo theft losses reached roughly $725 million—a 60% jump from 2024—and incidents rose 18%. Criminals are...
98 Foreign-Flag Coastwise Voyages Completed Under Waiver
@DOTMARAD records show 98 completed foreign-flag coastwise voyages conducted under the current Jones Act waiver as of June 8.
In Silico Devices May Improve Drug Manufacturability
BigHat Biosciences highlighted at PEGS Boston that in silico models built on cell‑free expression can predict antibody yields, allowing researchers to explore far more mutations than traditional CHO cell assays. By coupling computational predictions with physical experiments, companies can prioritize...
Suez Canal Surge Offsets Hormuz Shutdown Amid Houthi Threat
Suez Canal Gets Oil-Tanker Boost Amid Hormuz Strait Shutdown. What does this mean as the Houthis are coming back to attack threat? https://t.co/Fg69NeOSd8
India-USWC Rates Jump as Carriers Redeploy Capacity to Hotter Trans-Pacific Trade
Indian shippers to the U.S. West Coast are seeing ocean freight rates surge as carriers slash capacity on the lane. Spot rates have roughly doubled in the past two weeks, with a West India‑Los Angeles TEU price now around $3,800,...
Port of Long Beach, Partners Plan ‘Green Truck Corridor’
The Port of Long Beach, the Wonderful Company, and Lincoln Transportation Services have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a 150‑mile “Green Truck Corridor” linking the seaport with the Central Valley. The initiative will coordinate freight movement, incorporate zero‑emission trucks...
Will High-Speed Grocery Delivery Allow Amazon and Walmart to Close the Gap on Convenience?
Retail giants Walmart and Amazon are accelerating 30‑minute grocery delivery, with Walmart now operating the service in 33 markets and Amazon Now expanding to additional metros through 2026. The rapid‑delivery push threatens the traditional advantage of local grocers—proximity—by eroding the...
Amazon LTL Threatens only Budget, Low‑value Shippers
Goodness...Amazon's LTL announcement freaks out the market - https://t.co/fsoGisWEP7 Bloomberg Intelligence's Lee Klaskow said that the threat to established carriers was limited, reasoning that Amazon would mainly attract budget-driven customers shipping low-value goods rather than shippers who demand high service standards.
Emirates SkyCargo Maps New Horizons with Freighter Service to Almaty
Emirates SkyCargo will launch weekly Boeing 777F freighter flights from Dubai to Almaty, Kazakhstan, starting 16 June 2026, marking its first Central Asian destination. The service adds more than 100 tonnes of weekly cargo capacity for electronics, perishables, machinery and consumer...
Amazon Expands Freight Offering for All Businesses
Amazon announced the U.S. expansion of its less‑than‑truckload (LTL) freight service, extending Amazon Supply Chain Services beyond inbound‑to‑Amazon shipments. The new offering lets businesses of any size ship pallets (1‑6 pallets, 150‑15,000 lb) using shared trailer space, reducing cost and transit...
Amazon's New Point-to-Point LTL Shakes Freight Market
Amazon rolls out point to point LTL. How will this impact freight markets? We will discuss on FreightWaves Today, kicks off at noon ET.
Germany to Launch Final LNG Import Terminal Approved After Russian Gas Price Shock
Germany will commission its final floating LNG import terminal in Stade in September 2026, ending a two‑year delay caused by construction disputes and regulatory hurdles. Operated by Deutsche Energy Terminal, the facility will host the FSRU Energos Force, which is being...
The Next Frontier for AI in Health Care Is the Factory Floor
Artificial intelligence is moving from drug discovery into pharmaceutical manufacturing, where it is reshaping factories into data‑driven, resilient operations. Sanofi and peers report AI‑powered yield gains of 5‑10%, faster facility design via digital twins, and real‑time equipment monitoring that cuts...
Green Light for the EU’s ‘Battery Booster’
The European Commission has officially launched the Battery Booster Facility, a €1.5 bn (≈$1.62 bn) interest‑free loan program funded by ETS revenues to support battery‑cell production in Europe. The scheme, part of the earlier €1.8 bn Battery Booster Package, will open for proposals...
Upcoming Webinar – The Hidden Cost of Component Sourcing and How AI Is Fixing It
Manufacturers are overpaying for electronic components because pricing is opaque and benchmark data is scarce. ARC Advisory Group will host a webinar on June 23, 2026, featuring Lytica CEO Martin Sendyk to explain how real transactional data and agentic AI...
FMCSA Views Motus as a Way to Streamline Registration Processes for New Applicants
FMCSA launched Motus, a modern, secure platform that consolidates vehicle registration and access management for motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, intermodal providers and cargo‑tank facilities. In its first week the system received 120,000 new user applications, processed over 10,000 regulated...
Bunker Lead Times Grow Since US–Iran War Began
Since the US‑Iran conflict began, shipowners and traders have been extending bunker fuel booking lead times worldwide. Buyers are now securing very‑low‑sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) up to six weeks ahead, especially around the Strait of Hormuz, after a roughly 20%...
New Red Sea Threats ‘Would Not Change Much for Freight’
Iran‑aligned actors, including Yemen’s Houthis and Iran’s IRGC, issued fresh threats to close the Red Sea and Bab el‑Mandeb to Israeli shipping. Despite the warnings, major carriers such as Maersk, Hapag‑Lloyd and MSC continue to route container vessels around Africa’s Cape...
Container Shipping Lines Today – Are They Too Big to Fail?
The ten largest container shipping lines now control 84.7 % of global capacity, just 0.1 % below the January 2021 record. This concentration leaves shippers with few alternatives as capacity on key Asia‑Europe routes is fully booked, pushing freight rates higher. The dominance...
Milence Opens First HGV Charging Hub in Denmark
Milence, a joint venture of Daimler Truck, Traton and Volvo, opened its first public heavy‑duty vehicle (HGV) charging hub in Padborg, Denmark, on the German‑Danish border. The initial phase offers four CCS fast chargers delivering up to 400 kW, positioning the...
Electronics: Mexico’s New Export Darling Is an Old Nemesis in Disguise
Taiwanese electronics firms are rapidly relocating production to Mexico, attracted by proximity to the U.S. market and a desire to avoid China‑related supply‑chain risks. A Mexican consultant reports that eight manufacturers arrived since 2024, bringing the total to 14 factories...
Sourcing Journal to Host Inaugural Visions of Tomorrow Event This July
Sourcing Journal will host its inaugural Visions of Tomorrow conference on July 27 in New York, honoring four industry visionaries who are advancing sustainability, technology, product creation, and manufacturing in fashion supply chains. The event will feature cocktail networking, expert...