Today's Supply Chain Pulse
Oman transit corridor revives India’s West Asia trade
India’s May 2026 exports to West Asia rebounded to $5.30 billion after a sharp March dip, thanks to a new transit corridor through Oman’s Sohar, Salalah and Duqm ports that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. The recovery was led by the UAE, where shipments rose 3.18% year‑on‑year, and Saudi Arabia, which also saw notable gains.
Also developing:
By the numbers: GIA acquires 30% stake in De Beers' Tracr blockchain platform
Vorbeck Materials Opens New Production Facility
Vorbeck Materials has opened a new manufacturing plant in Grand Forks, North Dakota, designed to become its primary production hub for advanced materials and firefighting foams. The facility is slated to produce up to one million gallons of foam each year, dramatically expanding commercial capacity. It will focus on a graphene‑enhanced, fluorine‑free foam that contains no PFAS chemicals, addressing tightening environmental regulations. Vorbeck also plans deeper collaboration with the University of North Dakota to boost graphene research and talent pipelines.
Fuel for Thought: How Three Fifty Markets Secured Its Maritime Lien
In February 2026 the Fifth Circuit affirmed a maritime lien for UK bunker trader Three Fifty Markets after it supplied 800 metric tons of very low‑sulphur fuel oil to the M/V ARGOS M and never received payment. The court held that the...
Rescued by the Welder’s Whip and Anchored by the Painter’s Spray Gun
Amtech highlights a looming surge in U.S. shipbuilding demand as the 2027 Maritime budget earmarks $1.5 trillion for national security, including $65.8 billion for Navy shipbuilding. Rising gasoline and chemical prices, driven by Persian Gulf disruptions, are inflating construction costs—one vessel saw...
American Waterways, Global Volatility: Making the Right Policy Choices
The Biden administration extended a 60‑day Jones Act waiver for an additional 90 days, permitting foreign‑flagged vessels to move oil, natural gas, coal and fertilizer between U.S. ports. The waiver has not lowered domestic gasoline prices but creates a competitive...
Trump‑Xi Energy Deal Unlikely: China Won’t Depend on US
Unlike their 2020 phase one agreement, I am skeptical Chinese energy purchases will be a *meaningful* deliverable from Trump-Xi 2.0 for three reasons - Why would China increase its vulnerabilities, becoming dependent on a rival for energy - Trump can't commit to...
Borderlands Mexico: Trade, Trucking Dominate Port of Eagle Pass Annual Summit
The 2026 Port of Eagle Pass Trade Summit drew over 500 stakeholders to discuss nearshoring‑driven growth, infrastructure needs, and driver capacity challenges. Eagle Pass ranked as the nation’s 10th‑largest border crossing, handling $3.77 billion in trade in March. Panelists highlighted the...
Ford Unveils $30,000 Electric Pickup to Win Price‑sensitive Truck Buyers
Ford announced a $30,000 electric pickup built on its Universal Electric Vehicle platform, aiming to attract cost‑aware buyers and revive its faltering EV sales. The low‑price strategy hinges on a 350‑person skunkworks team that cut weight by 15% and reduced...
Iran War Blocks 20 M Bpd in Strait of Hormuz, Shaking Global Oil Supply Chain
Iran’s shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz has halted roughly 20 million barrels of crude daily, a shock to the world’s oil supply chain. President Trump is expected to press China to buy more U.S. energy as the disruption fuels price...
ACROBiosystems Overhauls HEK293 Licensing to Cut R&D Delays
ACROBiosystems announced a global upgrade to its HEK293 functional cell‑line licensing, moving from a multi‑step approval process to a purchase‑based model. Effective May 9, 2026, the change grants researchers immediate usage rights for internal research, drug discovery and assay development, cutting compliance...
Vauxhall to Launch Low‑Cost Electric SUV with Leapmotor, Production Set for Spain in 2028
Stellantis' Vauxhall brand announced a partnership with Chinese EV maker Leapmotor to develop a low‑price electric SUV, with production slated for the Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza, Spain, in 2028. The collaboration blends Leapmotor's battery and power‑train tech with Vauxhall's German...
Do City Delivery Drones Make Sense? No One Knows, but They're Flying Over NYC
British firm Skyports is running a one‑year pilot that ferries light cargo across New York City’s East River for a health‑care system. Weekday flights currently transport paper and could later include light pharmaceuticals, operating under FAA, Port Authority and NYC Economic...
Helium Crunch Threatens AI Chip Production, Accelerates U.S. Reshoring
Iranian drone attacks on QatarEnergy's Ras Laffan helium facility have crippled a key source of semiconductor‑grade helium, leaving U.S. chipmakers with only a week of inventory. The disruption is prompting a rapid reshoring push, with Intel and TSMC expanding U.S....
US Secretary of State Rubio Meets with Qatar’s Prime Minister; Iran Attacks Bulk Carrier Ship Near Qatar
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on May 9, 2026 to reaffirm defense cooperation and coordinate responses to regional threats. A day later, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that a bulk carrier was struck by...
Cameco COO Projects Up to 20 New AP1000 Reactors, Highlighting Massive U.S. Nuclear Expansion
Cameco's chief operating officer, Grant Isaac, told investors the company expects as many as 20 AP1000 reactors to be announced for construction, split between a $80 billion Department of Commerce deal and a parallel Department of Energy effort. The announcement signals...
McLane Deploys Aurora’s Driverless Trucks, First Berkshire Long‑Haul Autonomy
McLane Company, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, has upgraded its Dallas‑Houston pilot with Aurora Innovation to fully driverless commercial operations. The rollout will use Aurora’s SAE Level 4 system and a new fleet of 200 Volkswagen‑built trucks, with the first vehicles expected...
Is Chick-Fil-A's Tea Actually Brewed In-Store?
Chick‑fil‑A confirms that its sweet tea is brewed in‑store each day using Wilbur Curtis commercial machines programmed for consistent batches. The chain relies on a proprietary Tetley blend developed 30 years ago, which is taste‑tested daily for color and flavor....
Persian Gulf Supply Shock Lifts US Diesel Costs, Fuels Stagflation Fears and Rattles Equities
Explosions near Iran’s ports and a near‑closure of the Strait of Hormuz have driven diesel to $5.60 a gallon, a 56% jump, while global oil inventories plunge at record speed. The twin shock of higher input costs and tighter supply...
Tenaris to Acquire Artrom Steel Tubes for €86 Million ($93 M), Boosting Steel Pipe Capacity
Tenaris announced a definitive agreement to purchase 100% of Artrom Steel Tubes for €86 million (about $93 million) on a cash‑free, debt‑free basis. The deal adds roughly 450,000 t of steelmaking capacity and 200,000 t of seamless pipe rolling, pending EU and Romanian regulatory...
Bank of America Strategist Calls Commodities the Biggest Trade of the Next Five Years
Bank of America strategist Michael Hartnett declared commodities the biggest trade of the next five years, anchoring his call on de‑globalization, chronic capital under‑investment and a shift away from dollar dominance. The thesis has sparked debate over a potential super‑cycle...
Nvidia Invests Up to $3.2 B in Corning Deal to Boost U.S. Optical Capacity for AI Data Centers
Nvidia has committed $500 million in pre‑funded warrants and the option to invest up to $3.2 billion in Corning, funding three new U.S. factories that will expand optical‑connectivity capacity tenfold and create over 3,000 jobs. The deal aims to secure domestic glass‑fiber...
Amazon Sets June 2026 Prime Day Dates, Triggers Seller Inventory Countdown
Amazon announced on April 29 that Prime Day 2026 will take place in June, covering 26 countries. The confirmation activates a compressed inventory schedule that sellers must meet before the FBA cutoff on May 27, intensifying supply‑chain pressure.
China’s Food Security Strategies Offer Lessons Amid Global Crisis
Supply Chain Innovation & Technology is the basis on which competitive advantage is won or lost. “Today, the world is facing another global food and energy crisis, caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran and the disruption of supply chains...
US, Chile Launch Critical Minerals Talks for Strategic Supply
US and Chile begin critical minerals talks covering copper, lithium, rare earths and project financing. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/05/us-chile-critical-minerals-talks-signal.html
DHL Express Launches AI Customs Tool for International Shipping
DHL Express has introduced an AI‑powered item identification tool that lets shippers photograph goods with a smartphone and receive a customs‑compliant description in seconds. The system, the first of its kind among global express carriers, integrates computer‑vision directly into DHL’s...
Lamu Processes First-Ever Cargo Bound for Burundi
Lamu Port processed its first-ever container bound for Burundi, rerouting a shipment originally slated for Dar es Salaam via a C11 amendment and moving it by road. The move highlights Lamu’s growing role as a transshipment hub and revives the...
Israel Targets Iran Energy, Threatening $150 Oil Spike
🚨 IRAN CONFLICT EXPLODES Israel is now pushing to strike all of Iran’s energy infrastructure within the next 24 hours. Multiple Arab countries are backing the move. According to Israel, the US-Iran peace deal is dead. ...
Toll Group Opens Subic Bay Office to Expand Indo-Pacific Defence Logistics
Toll Group has opened a new office in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, creating a dedicated base for government and defence logistics across the Indo‑Pacific. The facility, operational since March 2026, taps the zone’s seaport, airport and multimodal infrastructure to...
Fuel Injection as SA Announces $40m Diesel Stockpile
South Australia is committing roughly $26 million USD to buy 10‑20 million litres of diesel, creating a strategic reserve at IOR’s Port Bonython facility. The stockpile adds about four days of fuel on top of the existing 30‑day inventory, aimed at shielding...
Barriers, Roadblocks, Derailments: The Headache of EA Integration Projects
The 1,443‑km East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is 84% finished and entered pre‑commissioning, with hydrostatic tests slated for early 2026. After initial financing setbacks—lenders pulled out over ESG concerns—the project secured $6.62 bn of bonds to close its debt gap....
SCOR Model
The Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model provides a universal framework that aligns planning, sourcing, making, delivering, returning, and enabling processes across global enterprises. By standardizing terminology and linking each pillar to measurable metrics such as Perfect Order Fulfillment and...
Qatar Sends First LNG Shipment Through Hormuz Since War Started
Qatar has resumed LNG exports through the Strait of Hormuz, with the tanker Al Kharaitiyat completing the transit on May 10, 2026. The vessel loaded at the Ras Laffan export terminal earlier this month and is now in the Gulf...
European Carmakers Take €8bn Hit From Trump Tariffs
European automakers face an estimated €8 billion loss after the Trump administration imposed steep tariffs on imported cars and parts. The 25% duty on passenger vehicles and 10% on components hits manufacturers such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes‑Benz, inflating U.S. retail...
Australia’s ‘Petro-Diplomacy’ Eases Fuel Shortage Fears
Australia has averted a looming fuel shortage through an aggressive "petro‑diplomacy" campaign that secured additional diesel and jet‑fuel supplies from allies across Asia and the United States. A joint energy statement with Japan, followed by similar accords with South Korea,...
Iran War Boosts Panama Canal’s Revenues by up to 15%
The Panama Canal’s revenues have jumped 10‑15% as the Iran‑Israel war forced shippers to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Daily transits increased up to 20%, with the average moving from 34 to 38 vessels and peak days hitting 40‑41. Auction...
Qatalum Maintains 60% Aluminium Output Amid Gulf Shipping Disruption
Qatalum keeps aluminium output at 60% as gas supply continues amid Gulf shipping disruption. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/05/qatalum-aluminium-output-to-stay-at-60.html
Anwar to Outline Malaysia Oil Supply Continuity Plan: Bernama
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will soon unveil a continuity plan to safeguard the nation’s oil supply as the conflict in Iran creates regional uncertainty. The strategy, outlined by Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, focuses on ensuring sufficient domestic...
Chinese EVs Absent From U.S. Roads, But Parts Under The Hood Are Alarming
Chinese-made vehicles remain absent from U.S. roads, yet Chinese auto parts have deeply infiltrated the supply chain. AlixPartners data reveal Chinese firms hold stakes in roughly 10,000 U.S. parts suppliers and supply up to 20% of components in models such...
PLC Startup Vs. Normal Scan Time – Real Plant Impact
The article explains that a PLC’s first scan after power‑on—known as the startup scan—behaves differently from the normal scan used during steady‑state operation. During this brief window the controller may act on stale memory, incomplete sensor data, or unavailable network...
GIGA Forum Highlights Sustainable Supply Chains Amid Geopolitical Fragmentation
The German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) hosted a high‑profile forum in Hamburg during Sustainability Week, examining how rising geopolitical fragmentation is forcing a rethink of global supply‑chain governance. Researchers and policymakers debated the trade‑off between resilience, critical‑minerals...
ASEAN Leaders Commit to Boost Intra‑Bloc Trade and Food Security Amid Global Shipping Disruptions
At the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, leaders led by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pledged to intensify intra‑bloc trade and reinforce regional food‑security mechanisms. The agreement fast‑tracks ratification of an upgraded ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) to cut...
Apple's Intel Partnership Validates Foundry, Spurs Industry Adoption
Apple using Intel is a big deal, not just because Apple would be using Intel’s 18A-P or 14A process, but because it would give Intel Foundry a major stamp of approval and make it easier for other customers to follow.
China Shifts From Low‑Value Manufacturing to High‑Tech Dominance
China is increasingly dominating high-tech industries, while the low-value manufacturing sectors that powered the country’s rise are becoming less important economic drivers https://t.co/z2ny9xep3S via @WSJ
The Memory Shortage Is Coming for Big Tech's Bottom Line. This Company Will Hold Up Better Than Anyone Else.
Memory chip prices surged 90% in Q1 2026 as AI‑driven demand outpaces supply, pressuring big‑tech CAPEX and margins. Meta, Alphabet and Microsoft flagged higher component costs as a earnings drag, while Samsung, the world’s largest memory maker, confirmed the price...
NYC Tests Delivery Drones Amid Uncertain Viability
Do City Delivery Drones Make Sense? No One Knows, but They're Flying Over NYC https://t.co/Skd8ebPF3D https://t.co/OEgQEXmUun
Logistics Success Demands Advanced IT for Complex Algorithms
“Resolving modern-day logistics challenges entails not only complex transportation and storage network design + analyses, but also hefty IT capabilities to enable the myriad algorithms, permutations, and computations involved.” 🔍 https://t.co/VTXmS1IB2a #supplychain #logistics https://t.co/0K9s1Kp5e3
New Russian-Flagged LNG Tanker Appears to Load US-Sanctioned Gas
A liquefied natural gas tanker, the Merkuriy, recently re‑flagged to Russia and changed ownership, then docked at the U.S.–sanctioned Saam floating storage unit near Murmansk. Saam holds LNG from the blacklisted Arctic LNG 2 project, meaning the vessel is loading fuel that...
Enough Food Exists; Distribution, Not Production, Needs Tech Solutions
We have enough food to feed the world's population. Do we have a logistics and distribution problem? Absolutely. Do we have the technology to fix it? Yes, we do, and it's getting better by the day.
Checking Status: Have the SAVE and SHIPs Acts Passed?
Quick question because I’ve been busy with other things. Have we passed the SAVE Act yet? How about the SHIPs Act?
Fertilizer Squeeze: Why Soaring Import Costs Are a Policy Tightrope for India
India’s fertilizer import costs have surged after US‑Israel strikes on Iran, pushing global urea prices up 81 % in two months. The country relies on imports for 25 % of its urea, 90 % of phosphate and all potash, making the shockwave a...
Barakah Conducts Fuel Shuttle to Fujariah Anchorage
Barakah probably has been shuttling fuel out to the anchorage off Fujariah and conducting a ship-to-ship transfer.