Today's Supply Chain Pulse
Half of Hormuz oil flow restored as US pledges full reopening
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said roughly 7 million barrels per day have resumed flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, representing half of the volume stranded when the waterway was effectively shut. He pledged that the United States will fully reopen the strait, with or without Iran’s assistance.
Also developing:
By the numbers: EasyGroup acquires Svelta Courier to launch easyCourier
STB Advances ’Data Collection’ Streamlining Efforts
On May 8 the Surface Transportation Board issued a final rule (EP 787) that streamlines Class I railroad reporting by eliminating supplemental Positive Train Control expenditure filings and adding two weekly service metrics—Original Estimated Time of Arrival (OETA) and Industry Spot and Pull (ISP). The rule requires carriers to begin reporting these metrics on July 1 2026 and to provide a methodology document with their first submission. Simultaneously, the STB launched a beta Open Data Portal that converts EP‑724 service data into machine‑readable, visual formats, enhancing public transparency. Additional docket closures consolidate the Board’s data‑collection framework.
Feisal Somji of Sio Silica to Deliver Keynote at CMI Summit 5 on Securing North America’s Silica Supply Chain for...
Feisal Somji, founder and CEO of Sio Silica, will headline CMI Summit 5 in Toronto with a keynote on using silica to secure North America’s supply chain during the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He will argue that ultra‑high‑purity silica is a strategic material...
High-Speed Automation Delivers Precise Package Sorting
Precision in Motion: High-Speed #Automated Package Sorting in Action by @amazingthings_ #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation #Tech https://t.co/Hjv7ashwQf
Ten More eEconic Vehicles for Frankfurt
Frankfurt's waste‑management firm FES has placed an order for ten additional Mercedes‑Benz eEconic trucks, bringing its electric low‑floor fleet to 34 units. The vehicles share a 291 kWh battery pack (97 kWh usable per pack) that supports a full day of collection...
AI-Driven Memory Shortage Spikes Console Prices
Sony, Nintendo grapple with memory price surge as AI boom constrains supply More collateral damage from US controls on memory... https://t.co/zUdAvKWJsv
Tyson Beef Faces $350‑$500M Loss Amid Cattle Shortage
"Tyson’s beef operations posted a wider loss, and the company expects the segment to lose $350M to $500M in 2026... the severity of the current cattle shortage has sent prices so high that meatpackers are losing money on every animal...
Greek Owner SteelShips Doubles Product Tanker Orderbook in South Korea
Greek shipowner SteelShips, led by Nicholas Notias, has doubled its product tanker orderbook by securing two additional 50,000‑dwt MR clean carriers from South Korea’s K Shipbuilding. The new contracts target delivery in 2028, adding to earlier orders for similar vessels. This...
The Need for Speed: How Domestic Manufacturing Accelerates Delivery of Mission-Critical Technology
Intel’s Government Technologies VP argues that U.S. defense superiority now hinges on speed, not just capability. He highlights how legacy acquisition models and offshore supply chains slow microelectronics delivery, jeopardizing deterrence. Emerging practices—hardware‑accurate digital twins, emulation, and Intel’s domestic 18A...
Fatigue the Hidden Factor in Shipping Casualties, Warn Researchers
New research from the Sustainable Shipping Initiative highlights seafarer fatigue as a largely hidden driver of maritime accidents. While human error accounts for most claims, existing reporting systems fail to capture the impact of long shifts and chronic sleep loss....
Wavelength Podcast: Not Shooting Strait, Confusion in the Gulf
The latest Wavelength podcast examines the escalating standoff in the Gulf, where U.S. and Iranian blockades persist and recent vessel attacks have sparked renewed cease‑fire negotiations. It also highlights the Trump administration’s push for a national shipbuilding programme anchored on...
MSC Updates Emergency Fuel Surcharge for Red Sea and East Africa Trades
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company announced updated Emergency Fuel Surcharges (EFS) for cargo moving from Northern Europe—including the UK and Scanbaltic region—to the Red Sea and East Africa. The surcharge schedule, effective May 16‑31 2026, ranges from $125 per dry TEU on the...
Why Procurement Has Become a Grid Reliability Issue: ULE
Utilities are increasingly seeing equipment lead times—especially for medium‑voltage gear and transformers—turn into a critical reliability bottleneck. Projects that have completed design often stall when key components arrive late, forcing crews to wait and budgets to swell. The industry is...
Chinese Fighter Sales Surged After the 2025 India-Pakistan Aerial Clashes
Chinese fighter jet sales surged after the May 2025 India‑Pakistan aerial clash, when Pakistan claimed its J‑10C jets downed Indian aircraft, including a Rafale. Chengdu Aircraft Corporation reported 2025 revenue of about $11 billion, a 15.8% rise, and first‑quarter 2026 sales jumped...
SEG Solar to Launch 4GW US Plant Q3 2026
SEG Solar to open new US 4GW module assembly plant in Q3 2026 #energysky -- via pv-tech: https://t.co/QrJjTm3VT6
Airfreight Rates Remained Elevated in April Despite Ceasefire
Air freight rates stayed high in April despite the Iran‑U.S. ceasefire, with the Baltic Air Freight Index showing a 32.7% year‑over‑year increase. The surge follows March spikes triggered by regional air attacks and a closed Strait of Hormuz, which lifted...
Tariff Uncertainty Deepens for Shippers After New Court Ruling Against Trump
A U.S. Court of International Trade has struck down the administration’s latest 10% global tariffs, deeming them unauthorized under the Trade Act of 1974. The ruling follows a Supreme Court decision that barred broader duties, prompting the court to block...
Binhai Energy Terminates 15GW Ingot/Cell Manufacturing Plant, Redirects Resources to Battery Sector
Chinese energy firm Tianjin Binhai Energy has scrapped its planned 15 GW ingot‑pulling and PV‑cell manufacturing complex in Inner Mongolia, citing a collapse in solar‑module prices and industry overcapacity. The board approved a termination proposal and redirected capital toward silicon‑carbon anode...
US Jet Fuel Could Be Used in Europe to Ease Possible Shortages
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is urging Europe to accept US‑grade Jet A fuel to mitigate looming jet‑fuel shortages caused by the Middle‑East conflict. European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued safety guidance, confirming no regulatory barriers if the fuel...
Wynn Al Marjan Island Faces ‘Modest Delay,’ CEO Cites Supply-Chain Challenges
Wynn Resorts announced a modest delay to the opening of Wynn Al Marjan Island, the UAE’s first casino resort, pushing the target past the early‑2027 window. The postponement stems from logistics and supply‑chain disruptions tied to regional geopolitical instability. Construction remains...
Fulfilmentcrowd: ‘Stock Localization to Become More Important’
Fulfilmentcrowd, a logistics provider for online retailers, is urging a shift from single‑warehouse models to distributed, in‑country stock networks as order volumes and cross‑border sales rise. The company runs 16 fulfilment centres worldwide, serving more than 250 brands, and uses...
The Achilles’ Heel of China’s Supply Chain Strategy: New Technology
Chinese EV leader BYD reported its weakest first‑quarter performance in six years, with profit plunging 55% to ¥4.1 billion (about $570 million) and revenue falling 12% to ¥150 billion (roughly $21 billion). Deliveries slipped 30%, underscoring a broader slowdown in China’s new‑energy‑vehicle (NEV) market...
Teknismart Solutions Launches iParley Trust Platform for IT Hiring and Procurement
Teknismart Solutions unveiled iParley, a trust‑infrastructure platform aimed at streamlining IT hiring and vendor procurement. The service lets professionals and agencies validate credentials through a self‑permissioned framework, moving verification earlier in the workflow. By sharing consent‑driven proof of claims, organizations...
ITER Magnet Milestone Tests Fusion’s Construction Supply Chain
The U.S. ITER program, managed from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has shipped the final components of the central solenoid magnet system to the ITER fusion reactor in Cadarache, France. This completes the American contribution to one of ITER’s most complex...
April Trucking Jobs Report Shows a Big Increase in Hiring
Truck transportation employment rose by 4,300 jobs in April, bringing the sector to 1,496,600 positions—the strongest monthly gain since September 2023. The increase follows a sharp layoff wave after Yellow Corp.’s shutdown, suggesting some displaced workers found new roles. Industry...
US Shoots Down Empty Iranian Oil Tankers
US has disabled another two Iranian unladen oil tankers, this time by firing into their smokestacks, thereby stopping them from crossing into the Persian Gulf. Two days ago, the US also disabled another empty Iranian oil tanker by firing into...
Merck Advances Scalable Manufacturing for Oral PCSK9 Therapy
Merck has published a landmark study in Science describing a scalable biocatalytic synthesis platform for its investigational oral PCSK9 inhibitor, enlicitide decanoate. The enzyme‑driven process enables selective peptide fragment formation, coupling, macrocyclization and uses crystallization‑based purification, aiming to reduce reliance...
EU Allows Airlines US Jet Fuel Amid Hormuz Blockade
EU to say airlines can use US jet fuel amid Hormuz block https://t.co/ejV7yc5J0O via @E_Krukowska @AlbertoNardelli @JWittels @kate__duffy https://t.co/2oxjn1b2x3
Malaysia Tightens Norms for Imported EVs
Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry announced that from July 1 2026 only franchise‑approved permit holders may import fully built electric vehicles (CBU) with a CIF value of at least RM200,000 (about $44,000) and a powertrain output of 180 kW. The rule...
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain’s Strategic Moment: Lessons From Health System Leaders
Health system leaders at Becker’s 16th Annual Meeting highlighted a turning point in pharmaceutical distribution, emphasizing that poor data quality hampers AI forecasting and that clean, centralized inventory data is now a prerequisite. Executives described initiatives such as RFID deployments...
Weekly Reverse News Highlights: DuPont, FedEx, Stellantis
Reverse News for the week ending May 8 is posted on the LTI website. https://t.co/BNZpj7FrYa This week, articles on DuPont, FedEx Freight, Stellantis and more. https://t.co/MS6Aqib3pz
Automation Needed to Return U.S. to Manufacturing #1
The U.S. is already the world’s #2 manufacturing powerhouse. To become #1 again, we need better automation. Make factories more productive, safer, and easier to work in. @goformic is leading that charge:
Maersk Mulls Potential Red Sea Return as Hopes Rise over US-Iran Deal
Maersk is weighing a restart of its Red Sea‑Suez Canal services as diplomatic momentum builds around a potential US‑Iran nuclear agreement. The carrier halted Red Sea transits in February 2024 after Houthi attacks escalated, forcing vessels onto longer routes around...
Finance Ignores Strait Closure, Prioritizes Abstract Reality
Financiers do not seem to care if the Strait is open. Their financial reality precludes physical reality.
Pakistan Shuns Spot LNG
Pakistan’s state‑owned LNG arm rejected an emergency spot‑market tender for two May cargoes, betting that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen and cheaper long‑term supplies from Qatar will arrive. The decision follows a cease‑fire in the US‑Iran conflict but comes...
South Korea Demo Shows Humanoids, ‘Robot Dogs’ Teaming Up in a Warehouse
LG CNS showcased its PhysicalWorks Baton platform, letting humanoid, quadruped, AMR and AGV robots collaborate autonomously in a Seoul warehouse demo. The system coordinated a Unitree humanoid, Deep Robotics’ M20 quadruped, Dexmate’s wheeled robot and Bear Robotics’ Carti‑100 without human...
Chinese EV Maker Leapmotor Taps Stellantis’ Spanish Plant for EU Production
Leapmotor, backed by a 21% stake from Stellantis, will add a production line at the Stellantis‑owned Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza to build Opel‑branded electric SUVs and its B10 model for Europe. The joint venture, Leapmotor International, gives Leapmotor a 49%...
Forward Air Flags Customer Loss, Stock Plummets
Forward Air reported a $34 million net loss for Q1 and warned that a contract‑logistics customer accounting for roughly 10% of its $2.5 billion annual revenue is diversifying away. The disclosure sent the stock down more than 40% and confirmed a strategic...
China’s Shipping Firms Brace for a New ‘Era of Chaos’ as Iran War Drags On
Chinese state‑backed shippers are confronting a prolonged disruption of the Strait of Hormuz as the US‑Israel conflict with Iran drags on. Cosco Shipping Holdings has shifted to longer, multimodal routes and doubled down on digital integration, but its first‑quarter net...
Hormuz Tensions Threaten Supply Chains, Risk Demand Collapse
US, Iran Clash Near Hormuz as Response on Proposed Deal Awaited. The longer this goes on, the greater the global economic and supply chain disruption. What about the US? Is there a tipping point from supply shortage to demand destruction?...
Middle East Conflict Threatens DRC Copper and Cobalt Sector Amid Sulfuric Acid Shortage
China’s suspension of sulfuric acid exports amid heightened Middle East tensions is tightening a critical input for copper leaching worldwide. The disruption could shave up to 125,000 tonnes of copper output from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2026, while...
Box Makers Struggle to Pass on War Costs
Packaging producers are feeling a double hit as the Middle East conflict pushes diesel and energy costs higher while consumer demand remains weak. The war‑driven surge in transportation expenses forced Sonoco to absorb an $8‑$10 million quarterly hit and Smurfit Westrock to...
ABS, HD KSOE Collaborate for Digital Shipbuilding, Vessel Intelligence
ABS and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) signed a memorandum of understanding to develop digital technologies that enhance safety and performance across the vessel value chain. The partnership will create Digital Threads for secure data flow, explore 3‑D...
Shipping Bottlenecks Prompt Auto Makers to Rethink Global Supply Chains
Auto manufacturers are scrambling to redesign global supply networks after the Strait of Hormuz and other key maritime routes were effectively shut down, driving up shipping costs and triggering a shift toward regional sourcing and alternative logistics.
Engine Room Fire Risk Growing with Ageing Fleet, Says Insurer Group
A new Cefor study finds engine‑room fire incidents are rising as the global merchant fleet ages, with vessels older than 15 years accounting for the majority of cases. Passenger ships are identified as the most vulnerable segment. Insurers have described...
The Freight Forwarder Moat Is Getting Shallower
Ocean freight forwarding, an $80 billion market, has long depended on manual booking, documentation, and coordination bundled into a single service. New AI‑driven platforms can ingest rate contracts, parse surcharges, compare carriers and execute bookings end‑to‑end without human intervention. This capability...
DP World Expands Into War‑Risk Shipping Insurance
DP World moves into shipping war risk insurance. Includes Middle East. Covers thru to inland delivery. https://t.co/ADghHSU8zY
Stellantis Launches $1.8 M Vehicle Dismantling Center in Morocco to Boost Circular Economy
Stellantis opened a $1.8 million vehicle dismantling center in Casablanca, Morocco, capable of handling up to 10,000 end‑of‑life cars per year. The site marks the automaker’s third global dismantling plant and the first in the Middle East and Africa, reinforcing its...
Trudeau’s Big EV Bet Is Officially a Flop – by John Ivison (National Post – May 6, 2026)
Canada’s high‑profile push to become North‑America’s EV hub hit a setback when Honda announced the indefinite suspension of its $15 billion (≈ $11 bn USD) electric‑vehicle plant in Ontario. The move underscores the fragility of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s strategy, which hinged on...
Maersk Q1 Profit Slump Triggers >7% Share Plunge
Maersk reported first‑quarter profit of $100 million, a sharp decline from the previous period, and its Copenhagen‑listed shares fell more than 7% before the market close on Thursday. The earnings miss reflects weaker freight rates and a slowdown in global trade,...
Op-Ed: The Copper Supply Crisis Is a Sulfur Management Crisis – by Randy Allen (Mining.com – May 4, 2026)
China abruptly halted sulfuric acid exports on May 1, 2026, sending shockwaves through commodity markets. The move exposed a hidden bottleneck: sulfuric acid is essential for copper leaching, yet the mining sector has treated it as a waste byproduct. With global...