Today's Supply Chain Pulse
Logistics volatility declared permanent in 2026 State of Logistics Report
The report finds supply‑chain volatility now a permanent condition, with U.S. logistics costs falling to $2.4 trillion, or 7.8% of GDP, down from $2.6 trillion in 2025. Five structural forces—uneven global growth, tighter financial conditions, geoeconomic realignment, labor constraints, and energy price swings—drive the new normal, while AI and automation reshape operations.
Also developing:
By the numbers: US IDFC partners with Chubb on $20B maritime reinsurance plan
Vardhman Textiles Announces US $13.2 Million Punjab Expansion Plan
Vardhman Textiles' board approved a Rs.125 crore ($13.2 million) expansion of its Punjab garment unit, raising shirt output capacity from 2.20 million to roughly 4.5 million units per year. The plant, already operating at 95 % capacity, aims to complete the upgrade by FY ’27 using internal accruals and debt financing. The move is intended to broaden the product portfolio, attract premium international brands, and improve cost efficiencies. The announcement follows a Q4 net profit of $19.5 million, down 22 % year‑over‑year.
Trade Court Blocks Trump Tariffs After Supreme Court Reversal
Trade court says “no” to Trump tariffs set after Supreme Court strikes down tariffs from Liberation Day. No what for supply chains?
Maersk Would Use US-Backed Strait of Hormuz Convoy Again, Says CEO
Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc announced the Danish carrier will once again join the U.S. Navy‑backed “Project Freedom” convoy to transit the Strait of Hormuz if the operation is reinstated. The line had previously refused to sail the waterway over safety...
New Marketplace Simplifies Plastic Procurement and Trading
if anyone owns a plastics factory, pls DM so i can connect you to Bailey he traded millions of tons of plastics and is now building a marketplace to make procurement, trading, credit and freight less painful by moving the...
Vallarpadam Loses Transhipment Cargo Share to Newcomer Vizhinjam
DP World‑operated Vallarpadam terminal at Cochin saw transhipment volumes plunge 49% year‑on‑year to 85,911 TEU in FY 2025‑26, cutting total throughput to 767,948 TEU. In contrast, Adani‑run Vizhinjam, which opened in December 2024, handled 1.3 million TEU, surpassing its 1 million TEU design capacity....
Reborn Chinese Shipyard Secures Debut Order From Domestic Start-Up
China’s revitalised shipbuilder Tianjin Haiyu has secured its first contract, delivering two 353,147‑cubic‑foot refrigerated vessels for domestic start‑up Chishan Group’s Shandong Fuerdon plant. The order, reported by Clarksons, marks the yard’s debut in commercial production after a recent restructuring. The...
DP World’s Thailand Play and the Eastward Extension of Emirati Port Doctrine
DP World, the Abu‑Dhabi‑based terminal operator, announced a strategic push into Thailand, marking the first major Southeast Asian foothold for its expanding port network. The move aligns with a broader Emirati doctrine to extend maritime infrastructure eastward, targeting the region’s...
DoorDash Spending $50 Million to Help Drivers With Gas Costs
DoorDash announced a $50 million fuel‑relief program to offset rising gasoline costs for its gig drivers. The initiative was disclosed during the company’s latest earnings call, where executives said delivery demand remains robust despite higher transportation expenses. DoorDash’s CFO noted that...
Iran Seizes US-Sanctioned Oil Tanker Off Oman: IRNA
Iran’s navy seized the oil tanker Ocean Koi on May 7 off Oman, citing an attempt to disrupt Iranian oil exports. The vessel, also known as Jin Li, was carrying a small load of high‑sulphur fuel oil bound for the UAE’s Khor Fakkan...
Chad P. Bown on the State of US-China Trade
In a short video released ahead of the upcoming Trump‑Xi summit, PIIE senior researcher Chad P. Bown warned that bilateral trade between the United States and China has contracted sharply since the start of the second Trump administration. He highlighted that U.S....
China Confirms Attack on Oil Tanker in Strait of Hormuz Earlier This Week
China’s foreign ministry confirmed that a Chinese‑crewed oil‑products tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. The vessel, likely the Marshall Islands‑flagged JV Innovation, suffered a deck fire but no crew casualties have been reported. The incident...
Iran Conflict Pushes Global Food Prices to Three-Year High
The United Nations’ food commodity index jumped 1.6% in April, reaching its highest level in over three years as the Iran‑Israel war disrupts supply chains. Prices for vegetable oils, meat and cereals drove the increase, with the meat index up...
DesignX: OS and AI Layer for Factory Decisions
DesignX introduced Df-OS, a no‑code Digital Factory Operating System, and Vish.ai, an AI reasoning layer that turn raw factory data into actionable decisions. The platform sits above existing ERP, MES and IoT tools, structuring process information and applying real‑time insights...
Hunan Yuneng Plans Cathode Material Factory in Spain
Chinese battery material maker Hunan Yuneng announced a €800 million ($872 million) investment to build a lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) cathode plant in Mérida, Spain. The first phase will cost €125 million ($136 million) and deliver 50,000 tonnes of cathode material annually, with a later expansion to...
Bill Seeks Moratorium on US Oil Exports
Democratic Representative Brad Sherman introduced the Stop Oil Exports to Lower Gas Prices Act, seeking a moratorium on U.S. crude, gasoline and diesel exports while the war with Iran continues. The bill aims to keep domestic supplies abundant, hoping to...
Poland Requests Urgent JNS Procedure Relating to Innofreight MonTainer XXM
Poland’s Office of Rail Transport (UTK) has lodged an urgent Joint Notification System (JNS) request concerning Innofreight’s 13‑ft MonTainer XXM containers equipped with gravity‑based HardTop covers. The move follows a April 2025 incident where a cover detached in windy conditions and struck...
3D Print Manager Streamlines Filament Inventory for Small Print Farms
3D Print Manager is a web‑based tool that automates filament inventory for 3D printer farms, created by solo developer Damir Druško in Croatia. By ingesting G‑code files, it calculates exact material usage, updates stock levels, and warns of impending shortages....
TSS Cruiser CSOV Ready to Support Taiwan's Offshore Wind Projects
Ta San Shang Marine (TSSM), a joint venture of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Taiwan’s Ta Tong Marine, has taken delivery of the TSS Cruiser, a new commissioning service operation vessel built by Damen in Vietnam. The vessel expands crew capacity to...
Emirates SkyCargo Performance Boosted by Freighter Additions in 25/26
Emirates SkyCargo reported a modest revenue rise to AED 16.2 bn (≈$4.4 bn) and a 2.5% increase in total cargo volume to 2.4 m tonnes for the year ending 31 March. The boost came from five new Boeing 777 freighters, two wet‑leased 747s and an expanding...
'Regardless of the Type of Offer, Available Capacity Is Essentially Zero Right Now': SK Hynix Is Reportedly Being Swamped with...
SK Hynix, the world’s second‑largest memory maker, is inundated with unprecedented offers from big‑tech firms seeking to secure DDR5 and NAND chips amid a global memory shortage. Reuters reports that capacity is effectively zero, with no allocation possible for individual...
E-Way Bill Generation Eases in April After March Peak
India’s electronic way‑bill system recorded 133.3 million permits in April, a 5% dip from the March peak of 140 million but still 12% above the same month last year. The decline reflects seasonal year‑end dispatches, while the year‑on‑year rise signals continued goods‑movement...
Toyota Takes US$4.3bn Iran Hit as Disruptions Batter Industry
Toyota warned that the Iran‑Israel conflict will cost it about $4.3 billion in the current fiscal year, driven by higher aluminium, resin and rubber prices and logistics delays. The automaker is absorbing these cost spikes across its supplier network, further squeezing...
P&G Shifts Supply Chain 3.0, Other Platforms Into Large-Scale Rollout
Procter & Gamble has moved its Supply Chain 3.0 program from pilot to company‑wide rollout, deploying automation across warehouses and manufacturing sites. The initiative, launched in 2023, targets up to $1.5 billion in cost‑of‑goods‑sold savings and 98% product availability by 2030. Technologies...
Nikon AM Synergy Secures New DLA Supply Chain Contract
The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency awarded Nikon AM Synergy a contract under the JAMA IV IDIQ Pilot Parts Program, making the firm a direct additive‑manufacturing supplier for defense components. The pilot will test whether 3‑D printed parts can replace traditional production...
Asia-Europe Shippers Eye Multimodal Routes as Airfreight Costs Soar
Rising air‑freight rates—up 41% year‑over‑year to $5.14 per kilogram—and prolonged ocean delays from Red Sea disruptions have prompted Asia‑Pacific shippers to test sea‑air routes via the U.S. West Coast for Europe. Forwarders such as Dimerco and DHL Global Forwarding now...
UTC Overseas, Transoceanic Launch US Gulf Coast Logistics Joint Venture
UTC Overseas and Transoceanic Development have formed UTC Transo, a New Orleans‑based joint venture to meet the surge in logistics demand from energy, power and industrial‑infrastructure projects along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The partnership blends UTC Overseas’ global project‑logistics and customs‑brokerage...
Long Distance Moves Have More Ways to Go Wrong and the Company You Pick Determines Which Way Yours Goes
Long‑distance moves expose consumers to higher risk because shipments travel across state lines and regulatory opacity can be exploited. The article stresses verifying a mover’s USDOT registration, securing a binding estimate, and avoiding ultra‑low quotes that often precede hostage‑freight tactics....
Amazon India to Scale up Rest Facilities for Delivery Associates to 250 in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Other Cities
Amazon India announced it will expand its Ashray rest‑stop network to 250 centres across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and other cities, adding 50 new sites by the end of May. The facilities offer air‑conditioned seating, water, electrolytes, charging points...
Sony PS5 Sales Plunge 46% as Memory Shortage Forces Price Hikes
Sony reported that PS5 shipments fell 46% year‑over‑year to 1.5 million units in the fourth quarter, attributing the drop to a global memory‑chip shortage and two price increases. The slump threatens console‑hardware revenue even as the company leans on higher‑margin software...
Middle East: More Air Freight Activity as Fuel Surcharges Ease, Says DHL
DHL Global Forwarding reports that Middle East air‑freight activity is stabilising as airline fuel surcharges begin to ease. Capacity is expanding and rates are softening, though they remain above pre‑crisis levels. DHL has restored intercontinental flights to Bahrain, Dubai, Qatar...
Transport Costs Jump 20% in Cambodia Clothing, Textile Sector Due to Oil Crisis
Transport costs in Cambodia’s clothing and textile sector have surged by roughly 20% as diesel prices spike amid an oil crisis that has tightened Gulf fuel supplies. The increase threatens profit margins for manufacturers and could push garment prices higher...
Toyota’s FY Profit Plunges 19% as U.S. Tariffs Wipe Out $9 Billion
Toyota Motor Corp posted a 19% decline in fiscal‑year profit to 3.85 trillion yen ($25 bn), saying U.S. tariffs on auto parts erased roughly $9 bn of operating income. The loss came despite a rise in global vehicle sales, underscoring how trade policy...
German Factory Orders Jump 5% in March, Defying Forecasts Amid Slipping Industrial Output
German manufacturers surged ahead in March, with new factory orders climbing 5.0% month‑on‑month, well above the 1.0% consensus forecast. At the same time, industrial production slipped 0.7%, marking a second straight decline and underscoring a split picture for the sector.
AI Supply‑Chain Leaders Warn Chip Shortages and Energy Limits Will Stall Growth for Years
Five senior figures from ASML, Google Cloud, Applied Intuition, Perplexity and Logical Intelligence told the Milken Institute Global Conference that a supply‑limited chip market and looming energy bottlenecks will restrict AI scaling for the next two to five years. Their...
Nintendo Hikes Switch 2 Price Worldwide Amid Memory‑cost Surge, Tariffs
Nintendo announced a global price increase for its Switch 2 console—about 10% to $499.99 in the United States, 20% to ¥59,980 (≈$387) in Japan and 6% to €499.99 (≈$540) in Europe—citing rising memory component costs and tariff pressures. The move follows...
RAMageddon Threatens Laptop, Smartphone and Storage Production as Chip Shortage Deepens
Apple, AMD, Intel and other tech giants warned that a severe RAM shortage—dubbed “RAMageddon”—could curb production of laptops, smartphones and external‑storage devices through 2026. Samsung has sold out its memory‑fab capacity to the end of the year, while AMD projects...
Delivering the Digital Railway: Coordinating Routes and Renewals
Rail BI highlights that the European Train Control System (ETCS) rollout hinges on synchronising route assets, renewal schedules, and rolling stock readiness. By consolidating route‑level asset data, Target Renewal Dates, and fleet fitment into a single platform, planners gain real‑time...
More Federal Funding for Oregon Container Port — and It’s Not in Portland
The U.S. Maritime Administration has awarded an $11.25 million grant to the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay for its Pacific Coast Intermodal Port (PCIP) project, a proposed ship‑to‑rail container hub 200 miles south of Portland. The state has already committed $100 million...
Service Bills to Rise as Iran War Drives up Engine Oil Prices by 70%
Garages across the UK report that engine‑oil costs have jumped more than 70% since the Iran‑Ukraine war began, forcing them to consider higher service charges. A 200‑litre barrel that cost a garage £350 (≈$438) now costs £600 (≈$750). The price...
Aurora Secures McLane Deal to Launch Driverless Truck Routes in Texas
Aurora Innovation has signed a commercial agreement with Berkshire Hathaway’s McLane to operate fully driverless trucks on a Dallas‑Houston corridor. The service runs seven days a week, two round‑trips daily, and will expand to additional Sun Belt routes before the...
European Stocks Slip as US‑Iran Tensions Push Markets Lower
European equities fell on Friday as fresh U.S.-Iran clashes in the Strait of Hormuz dampened risk appetite. The slide was compounded by early UK election results that battered Prime Minister Keir Starer's Labour Party and lifted Nigel Farage's Reform U.K....
LNG Vessel Pair Enriches MISC’s Fleet
MISC Group, a Petronas affiliate, announced the naming of two new‑generation LNG carriers—Seri Dian and Seri Dayang—built by Hanwha Ocean. Each vessel holds 174,000 cbm of LNG and incorporates smart, energy‑efficient technologies such as the ICER exhaust‑recycling system and a low boil‑off containment...
Middle East Crisis: FAO Sounds Warning over Fertiliser Supplies
FAO Director‑General Qu Dongyu warned that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are creating a fertilizer shortage that will depress crop yields from late 2024 through 2027. The corridor handles 20‑45% of global agri‑input exports, and delays force farmers to...
Iran War Slashes Hormuz Traffic, Sends U.S. Gas Prices 50% Higher
Iran’s war with Israel and the United States has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, collapsing tanker movements by more than 80% and driving U.S. gasoline prices up 50% to $4.48 a gallon. The disruption threatens to remove over 600 million...
US Confirms Iranian Shadow Fleet Tanker Detained Under Sanctions
Note the oil tanker Iranian media just said Tehran detained is under US sanctions and belongs to the Iranian own dark fleet. "The Ocean Koi has operated as part of the Iranian shadow fleet since at least 2020," according to...
Morgan Stanley Lifts Rockwell Automation Target to $525 on Reshoring Surge
Morgan Stanley raised its price target for Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) to $525 from $460, maintaining an Overweight rating. The upgrade follows Rockwell's Q2 earnings beat, double‑digit sales growth and an 8% EPS guidance lift, which the bank ties to...
Latest Court Defeat Threatens Legal Basis of Trump Tariff Strategy
The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that the Trump administration’s 10% global tariff regime was ultra vires, exceeding the authority granted under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The three‑judge panel found the tariffs were based on...
Corrugated Box Choices Can Make or Break Margins for Fast‑Growing E‑commerce Stores
A new analysis highlights how improper corrugated packaging—oversized boxes, wrong wall strength or mismatched material—can wipe out profit on a single order for Amazon, Etsy, eBay and Shopify sellers. The report urges fast‑growing stores to treat box selection as an...
BGMEA Seeks Investment and Collaboration in Meeting with CNTAC
Bangladesh’s garment sector, represented by BGMEA, met with China’s CNTAC and CDPA on April 26, 2026 to court Chinese investment and technology collaboration. The talks emphasized China’s role as a trusted supplier and highlighted Bangladesh’s $8‑9 bn annual woven‑fabric import market....
Ships at L.A.'s Ports Face a Fuel Shock That's Shaking the Economy
Shipping fuel costs at Los Angeles and Long Beach ports have surged, with very low‑sulfur bunker prices jumping nearly 88% to $1,080 per metric ton since the Iran‑related conflict began. The spike has pushed fuel to about 25% of a...