Know What's Happening in Supply Chain
Know What's Happening in Supply Chain
Ningbo Ocean Shipping launches $390M fleet and container expansion
Ningbo Ocean Shipping's board approved a capital program exceeding $390 million to boost its fleet and container inventory. Up to $246 million will fund four 1,900‑TEU feeder vessels, while $145 million is earmarked for acquiring 64,500 TEU of new containers.
Also developing:
Guatemala is advancing a $7 billion private "dry canal" called the Guatemalan Interoceanic Corridor (GIC), a 372‑kilometer land route linking a new Pacific port at San Luis with the Caribbean port of San Jorge. The project, backed by the Guatemalan Interoceanic Consortium, India's Lakshmi Capital, and ODEPAL, aims to complete its first two stages by 2030. A novel financing model combines $175 million of traditional funding with $325 million raised through tokenized digital bonds, marking the first infrastructure use of blockchain‑based tokenization. The GIC seeks to divert a share of global trade from the Panama Canal while fostering regional economic integration.
The first batch of 99.7%-pure copper anodes produced by our new smelter at Kamoa-Kakula was recently delivered to the Atlantic port of Lobito in Angola. This shipment of anodes was the first to be transported along the Lobito Railway Corridor....
During Q1 2026, a wave of B2B marketplaces entered the U.S. targeting construction materials, equipment rental, and data‑center infrastructure. Platforms such as MatBook, DOZR, Kwipped and Start Campus Marketplace aim to replace phone‑calls and spreadsheets with real‑time pricing, inventory visibility, and...
ATC Manufacturing secured a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory contract to develop a large‑format hydraulic press capable of high‑rate thermoplastic composite (TPC) processing for parts up to 10 ft × 5 ft. The program, partnered with Anduril Industries and Toray Advanced Composites, aims to...
DEEP Manufacturing will launch a 50,000‑sq‑ft wire‑arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) facility in Houston, Texas, in May—one year ahead of schedule. The plant will start with four WAAM platforms capable of printing carbon steel, nickel‑based alloys and Inconel 625, and will expand...
AI: Where VC converges with PE! Historically, outstanding venture capitalists invested in high-growth software. Top-quality private equity firms acquired companies. And the two strategies were distinct. Those two paths may be converging. @generalcatalyst just invested $13.8M to back KP Reddy to launch @ZeroRFI_...
Parcelhero, the UK’s leading courier comparison platform, has rolled out the first phase of a major technology upgrade featuring AI‑powered live tracking and what it claims is the industry’s fastest booking interface. The new system automatically flags customs issues, pre‑fills...
NorthStandard has teamed with Signol to roll out a behavioural‑science‑driven nudging platform that encourages seafarers to adopt fuel‑saving actions. The insurer will subsidise Signol’s SaaS subscription for its members, while Signol covers onboarding costs. By delivering weekly, personalised prompts and...
Ceva Logistics, a French logistics firm within the CMA CGM Group, has launched a maritime service to ship used lithium‑ion EV batteries from island regions to continental Europe. The solution uses five specially adapted containers with a combined capacity of 30 tonnes,...
The piece separates vehicle‑maintenance violations into two distinct buckets—driver‑detectable issues found during pre‑trip checks and systemic maintenance failures that only a proper preventive‑maintenance program can catch. Driver‑detectable problems such as burnt‑out lights, low tire pressure, or missing mirrors demand better...
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Logistics is the systematic coordination of acquiring, storing, and transporting resources to their final destination, a practice that originated in the military and now underpins modern supply chains. Efficient logistics reduces costs, accelerates delivery, and creates a competitive edge, especially...
Damen Shipyards delivered the ASD Tug 2811, named En Avant 19, to Dutch operator Muller Dordrecht. Built in Vietnam and shipped to Rotterdam, the 28.57‑meter vessel offers 65 tonnes of bollard pull and can operate both offshore and inland. It features...
The European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur will provisionally apply their free‑trade agreement starting 1 May 2026, ahead of full ratification. This provisional rollout grants German and other EU firms immediate access to reduced tariffs on a wide range...
G&W's Choice Terminals announced the opening of the Dillard transload facility for its Central Oregon and Pacific (CORP) railroad. The site can handle five railcars at once, features a 20‑car storage track and a small warehouse for just‑in‑time truck deliveries,...
Cebu Pacific announced a temporary scaling back of its international network as the Middle East conflict drives jet‑fuel prices to more than double 2025 levels. The airline will suspend Davao‑Bangkok, Iloilo‑Bangkok, Iloilo‑Singapore and Clark‑Hanoi routes through October and trim frequencies...
Air cargo spot rates jumped 10% week‑on‑week to $2.67 per kilo as the Middle East conflict squeezes capacity and lifts jet‑fuel costs. Rates from the Middle East and South Asia surged 22% to $4.37 per kilo, outpacing a 12% global...
Rising global temperatures and volatile weather are threatening the pharmaceutical cold‑chain, jeopardizing vaccines and biologics that require strict temperature control. Industry leaders argue that AI‑driven analytics, real‑time IoT monitoring, and blockchain‑enabled transparency can predict disruptions and optimize routing. Packaging providers...
Rising diesel prices, driven by Iran‑related oil flow disruptions, have pushed crude near $100 per barrel and added an estimated $40 billion in fuel costs across the U.S. trucking sector. The surge in fuel expenses is compressing margins, prompting carrier exits...
Ken Idunno Adamo was the cheerleader of team weather in February. He couldn't see that the freight market was cooking because of the sub-prime nature of DAT's data. I don't blame Ken for not taking the $5k bet, knowing that...
Ethiopia’s Bishoftu International Airport, a $12.5 billion megaproject designed for up to 110 million passengers a year, is moving from planning to construction with a target completion around 2030. Italy has entered financing discussions, signaling European confidence and adding a new layer...
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov announced that the China‑Kyrgyzstan‑Uzbekistan (CKU) railway will be completed by 2030, linking Kashgar in China to Andijon in Uzbekistan through Kyrgyzstan. The line will integrate with Kyrgyzstan’s existing rail network around Issyk‑Kul and connect to Kazakhstan,...
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) approved the Association of American Railroads' Rail Cost Adjustment Factor (RCAF) figures for the second quarter of 2026. The unadjusted RCAF rose to 1.016, a 0.1% increase from Q1, while the adjusted RCAF slipped to...
The ongoing Iran‑Israel conflict has not yet crippled global pharmaceutical supply chains, but it threatens the modest 0.3% of worldwide drug output and 0.6% of active‑pharmaceutical‑ingredient (API) production that originates in the region. Disruptions to key shipping lanes, especially the...
Jabil announced a $1.1 million donation over three years to St. Petersburg College, aimed at expanding advanced manufacturing training. The funds will support new lab equipment, curriculum development, and scholarships for soldering and mechatronics certifications. Jabil engineers will work with faculty to...
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed maritime traffic by 95%, left roughly 20,000 seafarers stranded and doubled the cost of moving a barrel of crude. The disruption is now spilling into high‑tech, with Taiwan's TSMC warning...
Cognex’s new study of more than 500 manufacturers shows 57% already use AI‑powered machine‑vision, with another 30% planning near‑term deployments. Adoption is strongest in automotive, electronics and logistics, where tighter tolerances demand higher accuracy. While initial drivers focus on defect...
Global gas turbine lead times have stretched to five years for large units and up to three years for smaller models, while prices have surged nearly 50% to about $3,000 per kilowatt. Demand is exploding, with 2025 orders projected at...
Geopolitical tensions and climate shocks are reshaping the global food system, concentrating power in a handful of exporters. The United States remains the backbone of corn and soybean supplies, while Brazil has overtaken it in soy and dominates sugar, coffee...
The recent ByHeart infant formula recall exposed severe supply‑chain communication breakdowns, allowing contaminated product to remain on store shelves and endangering 48 infants. While the manufacturer originated the contamination, distributors and retailers that continued shipping the product faced liability, highlighting...
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has cut average truck processing time at Milan Malpensa’s cargo terminal to 48 minutes by deploying an SMS‑based door‑assignment system. The airport, handling about 65% of Italy’s airfreight, sees roughly 28,000 trucks annually, with 45% now...
The Fertilizer Institute and the Alliance for Chemical Distribution have each written to the Surface Transportation Board urging Class I railroads to prioritize fertilizer shipments and to scrutinize any conflict‑related surcharges. The letters cite the closure of the Strait of...
Ontario, California flipped to "Extreme Tightening" for capacity over the weekend, as the freight economy starts to heat up and Spring shipping starts to cook. Ontario is heart of the Inland Empire, the ocean of warehouses and distribution centers near...
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At the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Lima, executives forecast that air cargo volumes will keep expanding in 2026 despite ongoing market volatility. LATAM Cargo reported moving over one million tonnes in 2025, generating $1.7 billion in revenue, underscoring the sector’s...
Current Gulf production shut ins alone, if held at current levels through end-March, will result in roughly 200 million barrels of crude *not being produced* over the first ~30 days of the Iran War Not simply displaced supply, but barrels that...
At the height of the tariff stand-off with China in April 2025, Trump was essentially negotiating with himself - threatening escalation and then pulling back - while China stayed silent. We're at that stage now on Iran. China won the...
Senator Elizabeth Warren has demanded answers from the Department of Defense after it labeled AI startup Anthropic a “supply chain risk,” a move she says appears retaliatory amid the ongoing Iran war. The DOD continues to use Anthropic’s Claude model...
Thanks to the US-Israeli attack on Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is ‘closed’. As a result, countries worldwide are facing a gas supply CLIFF-EDGE. LNG from Qatar is NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. US-ISRAELI WAR ON IRAN = MASSIVE COLLATERAL DAMAGE. https://t.co/qE8zgTwxgC
I spoke with @GaryBohm5 'Metals and Miners' about the closure of the Strait: "It will affect everything that's produced by refined petroleum: the chemical and plastics industry, fertilizer. This supply shock will ripple through everything. There's nothing that isn't touched." https://t.co/SPZ9A1UMhy
Oil prices have surged as the Strait of Hormuz closure removes roughly 20% of global supply, double the impact of the 2022 Russia‑Ukraine war. In the week of March 9, U.S. diesel jumped $0.96 per gallon to $4.86, marking the largest...
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Everyone’s talking about shipping but most of the books about commercial ships are dry as dust. Once upon a time I read one that wasn’t. No acronyms. No jargon. Just stories about leadership moments at sea by @GoldenStripesLS, a ship captain...
🤙🏻 Call me, beep me, if you want to unblock the Strait of Hormuz and unwind the largest energy supply shock in history to avoid a global depression.
Averitt, a regional LTL provider, is seeing an up-tick in LTL activity. - Transport Topics https://t.co/VUzWyUSgRw
its the "biggest ever shock to global oil supply", as people keep pointing out, but the US economy is also less oil-intensive than it has ever been.. https://t.co/zk9SxpcEA5
In this podcast conversation with @paulkrugman from last week, we debate my view that oil prices are near their peak because large risk premia are priced into oil that embed substantially reduced tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Watch...
A back of napkin estimate (based on DOD spending on metals and the current price differential bt US and world market prices) indicates that the federal government wastes BILLIONS each year due to US steel, aluminum, & copper tariffs alone:...
Global LNG exports drop to the lowest level in six months due to Middle East conflict ⚠️ 🚢 This basically erases supply additions from the US and elsewhere during that period The drop is primarily from Qatar — and to a...
“Can take twice as long” Are you kidding me?? We have been building the aircraft carrier USS John F Kennedy for SEVENTEEN YEARS and it’s still not completed.
The outage at the world’s biggest LNG export plant in Qatar is apparently benefiting Russia 🇷🇺 ⚠️ Russia’s largest LNG producer Novatek has signed a preliminary deal to supply Vietnam, Tass reported citing CEO Mikhelson (Vietnam is struggling to buy LNG...
