Know What's Happening in Supply Chain
Know What's Happening in Supply Chain
VinFast scales EV deliveries and launches $500M plant in India
VinFast delivered 3,520 electric vehicles in a single 24‑hour period in Vietnam, showcasing its production and logistics capabilities. The company is breaking ground on a $500 million plant in Tamil Nadu that will support a 150,000‑vehicle‑per‑year capacity and serve as a regional export hub for right‑hand‑drive markets. Its next logistical test will be expanding into India and Indonesia.
Also developing:
TechRepublic’s 2026 roundup identifies the top inventory management platforms for businesses of all sizes, from enterprise‑grade NetSuite to free‑tier Zoho and Odoo. The guide highlights pricing structures, core features such as demand planning, multi‑location tracking, and API/webhook support, and rates each solution on a five‑point scale. NetSuite leads for complex, scaling operations with extensive WMS and custom scripting, while Square for Retail offers the quickest on‑ramp for small stores. The analysis also details implementation costs, add‑on pricing, and suitability for manufacturing, wholesale, and multichannel e‑commerce use cases.
German vice‑chancellor Robert Habeck compares Donald Trump’s Iran war to Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion, labeling both leaders as megalomaniacal and unpredictable. He notes the US lacks a coherent military plan, whereas Russia’s operation was pre‑planned and tied to an energy...
US copper smelters face rising strategic pressure as weak refining economics reshape the copper supply chain. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/us-copper-smelters-face-strategic.html
Indian steel producers are preparing for another price increase as U.S. attacks on Iran lift coking coal, ferro‑alloy and shipping costs. Domestic hot‑rolled coil prices have risen 23 percent to roughly $650‑$700 per tonne, up from about $566 a month earlier....
Saudi oil exports from its Western ports on the Red Sea represented the most immediate and largest mitigation of the Hormuz crisis. Logically, any oil transported via pipelines from east to west and loaded at the Red Sea ports must be...
In this episode of the Argus Crude Report, Lina Bullock and Mediterranean reporter Eleni Krak discuss how the Middle‑East Gulf War is reshaping crude supplies for European refiners. They explain that Europe faces a loss of roughly 600,000 barrels per...
Look at the number of oil and LNG vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz in the WTO's newly-launched tracker. It is based on "AIS-traceable vessels only" -- but I think that's a fair picture. Who in their right mind would think "dark...
And Trump just explained why there’s virtually no commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz right now. The Lincoln is ~600 miles off Iran’s coast. That gives it several minutes of warning time, plus an entire air wing, three destroyers, a...
The U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have choked the Strait of Hormuz, causing severe port congestion that left more than 500 Japanese‑exported cars idle at sea before finally off‑loading in Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port ten days late. Japanese firm...
The FBI announced indictments against Shandong Believe Chemical Company, Shandong Ranhang Biotechnology and six Chinese citizens for exporting fentanyl precursors to the Gulf Cartel. The charges, part of Operation Box Cutter, highlight a new level of cooperation between U.S. and Chinese...
Chinese state‑owned vessels have logged just 6% of their open‑water time in International Seabed Authority‑designated mining zones, prompting accusations of dual‑use activity, while Tonga’s new agreement with the United States to explore deep‑sea minerals has ignited local environmental concerns. Both...
Eric Chewning, executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy at Huntington Ingalls Industries, says the shipbuilder’s AI pilots with C3 AI and Path Robotics are delivering schedule gains and cultural change, offering a playbook for consultants tackling legacy‑heavy...
Dollar Tree posted $5.5 bn in fourth‑quarter 2025 revenue, a 9% year‑over‑year increase, driven by a 5% rise in comparable store sales and a 6.3% lift in average ticket size. The retailer also highlighted stronger inventory management, $970 m of free cash...
Nintendo announced it will cut Switch 2 manufacturing by roughly 33% following weaker-than‑expected holiday sales. The move comes amid lingering tariff costs, price hikes on accessories and a competitive market, putting pressure on the company’s 2026 console strategy.
Eurozone private‑sector activity slipped to a ten‑month low in March, with the flash composite output index dropping to 50.5, below expectations. At the same time, input‑cost inflation accelerated to its strongest level in over three years, underscoring weakening domestic demand...
Slovenia became the first EU member to impose fuel purchase limits after the Strait of Hormuz blockage triggered long lines and shortages. Private motorists can buy up to 50 liters a day, while companies are capped at 200 liters, with the army...
At CERAWeek in Houston, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth, TotalEnergies chief Patrick Pouyanne and NNPC GCEO Bashir Ojulari warned that the Iran‑Israel war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are creating unprecedented volatility for oil and gas markets. Their...
A blast was reported at a Texas oil refinery, though details remain scarce. The incident comes as crude oil prices slipped on easing US‑Iran tensions, while India's coal consultancy CMPDI struggled to attract investors and turmeric prices fell sharply amid...
Valero Energy's Port Arthur, Texas refinery suffered a massive explosion that ignited a fire and forced an immediate shutdown of the plant. The incident sent a thick smoke plume over the Gulf Coast, prompting emergency response teams and sparking worries...
Pioneer Minerals has been accepted into the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC), linking its Idaho North Pine tungsten project to defence supply‑chain initiatives. Membership gives Pioneer direct access to government agencies, contractors and potential non‑dilutive funding to boost domestic...
HSBC's flash PMI shows India's private sector output index fell to 56.5 in March, the lowest level since October 2022. The slowdown is tied to the Middle East war, rising input costs and weaker domestic demand, raising concerns for investors...
Lots of public attention towards non-english speaking truck drivers, but the industry has far bigger safety issues. One of them is the proliferation of drug and alcohol issues among truck drivers, including cocaine and opioids. Currently, truck drivers are only...
A joint event by Greater South East Melbourne (GSEM) and the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC) highlighted manufacturing investment pathways in Melbourne’s south‑east. The region accounts for about $89 billion Australian (≈$59 billion USD) in annual manufacturing output, hosts over 3,800 firms...
Tariffs raise prices now and gamble on benefits later—if they come at all. Meanwhile, retaliation and supply chain shifts hurt U.S. businesses. That’s not a clear “benefit.” And corporations don’t price based on taxes alone—they price based on what they...
#IndiaWatch 🇮🇳: As the Iranian war drags on, India takes an economic hit. Eighty percent of Indian gas imports, forty percent of Indian oil imports, and forty percent of India’s remittances depend on the Gulf. MODI SHOULD SEND TRUMP AND NETANYAHU A...
Australia and Singapore have signed a fuel‑security pact that positions Australian liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a cornerstone of regional energy stability. The agreement, endorsed by Australian Energy Producers, stresses the importance of uninterrupted LNG trade amid global uncertainty. Industry...
This is why there is so much focus on gas demand destruction 👇 Importers (particularly those in emerging Asia) will need to take less LNG to free-up more for Europe and other richer nations the longer Hormuz/Qatar is shut
Australia is RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. As the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted, hundreds of gas stations across the country are running dry. THE GAS STATIONS SHOULD SEND A BILL FOR DAMAGES TO TRUMP AND NETANYAHU. https://t.co/9LMx4BprMq
Manufacturing employment is rising as packaging becomes more intricate across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. The three‑tier packaging system now demands specialized design, material handling, and logistics expertise. Companies investing in advanced packaging see higher labor needs, from graphic designers...
US weighing deployment of a combat brigade to take Kharg, repair airfields Supply lines would follow That’s a blueprint for escalation into Iran’s oil heart MARKETS AREN’T READY FOR THAT OUTCOME #IranWar #Oil #Hormuz #Geopolitics #EnergyMarkets https://t.co/ekbkXerzjV
Truckers aren't the only ones feeling the freight market surge. Domestic intermodal rail +8% YoY https://t.co/3KVVCFp8Q9
Tolomatic introduced the RSX50, a new electric linear actuator that delivers 50 tons of force while occupying nearly the same frame size as the 25‑ton RSX25. The RSX series offers a hydraulic‑free alternative, featuring planetary roller screws, up to 66,000 pounds‑force capacity,...
Europe will soon face the same kind of fuel supply disruptions as Asia due to the war in Iran, says Shell’s CEO 🇪🇺 ⚠️ “If you look through the slate, jet fuel is already being impacted. Diesel will be next...
As the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, oil tankers are increasingly diverting to the Atlantic Basin, boosting vessel traffic there. The rerouting eases regional freight rates, offering lower shipping costs for crude moving to Europe and the Americas. Traders note...
K Line has shipped the first eight train cars for Cairo Metro Line 4, loading them onto the car carrier Iguazu Highway at Kobe and sailing to Alexandria on 12 March 2026. The rolling stock is supplied by Mitsubishi Corporation and Kinki Sharyo for...
Pop Mart’s Labubu plush, a viral collectible, has driven sales past $4 billion in 2025, but a China Labor Watch investigation uncovered forced‑labor indicators at Shunjia Toys, the sole factory producing the doll. Workers reported excessive overtime—up to 145 hours a month—extremely...
China’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) market is projected to avoid a supply shortage through March despite the ongoing Middle East conflict, according to Shandong‑based consultancy SCI99. The firm cites robust existing contracts and a diversified import portfolio that includes Russia,...
So Trump admin is [rightly] panicking about the Strait of Hormuz so they’re going to try to get Iran to agree to a 1-month ceasefire to negotiate during which I’m sure Trump wants the Strait open Iran’s main leverage is the...
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told CERAWeek attendees that Canada can fill the United States’ oil‑gap by adding roughly 2.5 million barrels per day of southbound pipeline capacity. She reiterated Alberta’s goal to double crude output to about eight million barrels per...
US LNG export developers are confronting acute supply‑chain bottlenecks as they scale a rapidly expanding project pipeline. A shortage of high‑capacity turbines and a thin pool of skilled Gulf Coast labor are forcing firms to rethink construction schedules. Executives at...
Exotec has launched the Skyfleet program, rolling out standardized robotic warehouse solutions to seven Decathlon logistics sites across five European countries. Each site features 150‑200 Skypod robots, up to 200,000 items processed daily, and full automation of inbound and outbound...
One of the charms of Trump is that he will sometimes tell you what is really happening if you read between the lines. For example, here he all but told us the real reason Hormuz isn't open yet. I would think interception...
Iran is testing a selective passage strategy in the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only certain vessels to transit the waterway. Analysts describe the approach as a calibrated tactic that balances political leverage with economic self‑preservation. By targeting specific ships, Tehran...
Geekplus unveiled the RoboShuttle V5 at LogiMAT 2026, upgrading its tote‑to‑person system with a native Robot Arm Picking Station for fully autonomous warehouse picking. The solution claims 99.99% accuracy, up to 700 units per hour, and a plug‑and‑play rollout in as...
Haad Thip Plc, the exclusive Coca‑Cola bottler for 14 southern Thai provinces, is targeting a rise in returnable glass bottle (RGB) revenue to 6‑7% of total sales this year, up from roughly 3% in FY2025. The move aims to offset...
Oil executives warn that the ongoing war in Iran is severely disrupting crude and refined product flows, creating a global supply crunch. The resulting shortages are driving price spikes that are eroding demand across industrial and consumer sectors. Analysts anticipate...
We go to war and end up getting embargoed by Iran, which is now charging protection fees for oil tankers to go through the Strait of Hormuz. That's nuts. If Iran can embargo us with a couple of drones, we...
California is careening toward an energy crisis because it depends on refined out imports, says Chevron 🇺🇸 ⚠️ Now shipments from China, South Korea, Singapore and elsewhere are at risk of slowing significantly as Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz https://t.co/KXe3T6k8Dw
Diesel prices have climbed to $5.15 per gallon, up from $4.89 a week earlier and $1.57 above the month‑ago average, marking a $1.69 year‑over‑year increase. Ag economist Charley Martinez warns that the higher fuel cost is inflating livestock trucking expenses,...
As a result of the US-Israeli war in Iran, ALUMINUM prices are UP 12-40% THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. The world’s biggest carmakers are reportedly “panic buying.” CARMAKERS SHOULD SEND A BILL FOR DAMAGES TO TRUMP & NETANYAHU. https://t.co/yRInvBpEdm
