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
How Far Away Is the "Affordable Era" For All-Solid-State Batteries?
All‑solid‑state batteries remain 3‑5 times pricier than conventional lithium‑ion cells, costing roughly $0.22‑$0.31 per Wh versus $0.06‑$0.07 for LFP packs. Industry leaders CATL, BYD and Gotion target small‑scale production by 2027 and limited mass production by 2028, but high material costs—especially lithium sulfide, which can represent up to 64% of a cell’s price—keep the technology out of mainstream EVs. The supply chain is already scaling lithium‑sulfide capacity, aiming for a "one‑yuan era" (about $0.14 per Wh) around 2028‑2030. Niche applications such as eVTOL aircraft and humanoid robots are expected to absorb early volumes while cost‑reduction pathways mature.
Bypass Pipelines’ Popularity Growing Rapidly
The Iran crisis has sharply reduced oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz, cutting roughly 20 million barrels per day from the global market. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iraq have shifted volumes onto existing pipelines, with Saudi’s East‑West line now...
What Is the Best Way to Manage Ecommerce Returns at Scale?
E‑commerce’s rapid growth has driven a surge in product returns, with roughly 30% of online purchases sent back versus under 9% in physical stores. In 2022 alone, U.S. consumers returned an estimated 3.5 billion items, accounting for about 16.5% of total...
US Urges China to Restart Rare‑earth Shipments to Japan
US asks China to resume rare-earth exports to Japan America requested measures to avoid damage to the global supply chain for high-tech products. China can make the same argument on US controls....there is a way out of this... https://t.co/G66YyPS8uy via @NikkeiAsia
Public, Private Sector Collaboration Keep Freight Moving on Inland Waterways
Public‑private collaboration is vital for keeping the Mississippi River freight corridor open. At FreightWeekSTL 2026, ACBL’s Randy Cham‑ness and Corps engineer Bradley Krischel discussed how coordinated dredging, data sharing, and infrastructure projects sustain a 9‑foot‑deep, 300‑foot‑wide navigation channel. The Corps oversees...
Survey: U.S. Manufacturers Sound Alarm About Rising Prices
A National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) survey released in June shows 83.1% of U.S. manufacturers now view rising raw‑material costs as their top challenge, up sharply from the first quarter. The surge follows a May consumer‑price index jump to a...
How Should Freight Leaders Evaluate AI Agent Adoption?
FreightWaves surveyed 68 freight professionals in early 2026 to gauge AI agent adoption across carriers, brokers, shippers, and owner‑operators. The findings show a shift from cautious evaluation toward pilot projects that automate repetitive tasks such as data entry, check calls,...
Amazon Opens Its LTL Trucking Service to All
Amazon announced that its Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS) unit will offer a full‑scale less‑than‑truckload (LTL) carrier to any shipper, expanding beyond the inbound‑only model used for its own fulfillment centers. The service leverages a fleet of more than 80,000...
FBI Warns of Rising Cargo Theft Threat
The FBI Philadelphia Field Office issued an alert warning that cargo theft scams have surged nationwide, driven by sophisticated cyber‑enabled tactics. Government data show 2025 cargo theft losses reached roughly $725 million—a 60% jump from 2024—and incidents rose 18%. Criminals are...
98 Foreign-Flag Coastwise Voyages Completed Under Waiver
@DOTMARAD records show 98 completed foreign-flag coastwise voyages conducted under the current Jones Act waiver as of June 8.
In Silico Devices May Improve Drug Manufacturability
BigHat Biosciences highlighted at PEGS Boston that in silico models built on cell‑free expression can predict antibody yields, allowing researchers to explore far more mutations than traditional CHO cell assays. By coupling computational predictions with physical experiments, companies can prioritize...
Suez Canal Surge Offsets Hormuz Shutdown Amid Houthi Threat
Suez Canal Gets Oil-Tanker Boost Amid Hormuz Strait Shutdown. What does this mean as the Houthis are coming back to attack threat? https://t.co/Fg69NeOSd8
India-USWC Rates Jump as Carriers Redeploy Capacity to Hotter Trans-Pacific Trade
Indian shippers to the U.S. West Coast are seeing ocean freight rates surge as carriers slash capacity on the lane. Spot rates have roughly doubled in the past two weeks, with a West India‑Los Angeles TEU price now around $3,800,...
Port of Long Beach, Partners Plan ‘Green Truck Corridor’
The Port of Long Beach, the Wonderful Company, and Lincoln Transportation Services have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a 150‑mile “Green Truck Corridor” linking the seaport with the Central Valley. The initiative will coordinate freight movement, incorporate zero‑emission trucks...
Will High-Speed Grocery Delivery Allow Amazon and Walmart to Close the Gap on Convenience?
Retail giants Walmart and Amazon are accelerating 30‑minute grocery delivery, with Walmart now operating the service in 33 markets and Amazon Now expanding to additional metros through 2026. The rapid‑delivery push threatens the traditional advantage of local grocers—proximity—by eroding the...
Amazon LTL Threatens only Budget, Low‑value Shippers
Goodness...Amazon's LTL announcement freaks out the market - https://t.co/fsoGisWEP7 Bloomberg Intelligence's Lee Klaskow said that the threat to established carriers was limited, reasoning that Amazon would mainly attract budget-driven customers shipping low-value goods rather than shippers who demand high service standards.
Emirates SkyCargo Maps New Horizons with Freighter Service to Almaty
Emirates SkyCargo will launch weekly Boeing 777F freighter flights from Dubai to Almaty, Kazakhstan, starting 16 June 2026, marking its first Central Asian destination. The service adds more than 100 tonnes of weekly cargo capacity for electronics, perishables, machinery and consumer...
Amazon Expands Freight Offering for All Businesses
Amazon announced the U.S. expansion of its less‑than‑truckload (LTL) freight service, extending Amazon Supply Chain Services beyond inbound‑to‑Amazon shipments. The new offering lets businesses of any size ship pallets (1‑6 pallets, 150‑15,000 lb) using shared trailer space, reducing cost and transit...
Amazon's New Point-to-Point LTL Shakes Freight Market
Amazon rolls out point to point LTL. How will this impact freight markets? We will discuss on FreightWaves Today, kicks off at noon ET.
Germany to Launch Final LNG Import Terminal Approved After Russian Gas Price Shock
Germany will commission its final floating LNG import terminal in Stade in September 2026, ending a two‑year delay caused by construction disputes and regulatory hurdles. Operated by Deutsche Energy Terminal, the facility will host the FSRU Energos Force, which is being...
The Next Frontier for AI in Health Care Is the Factory Floor
Artificial intelligence is moving from drug discovery into pharmaceutical manufacturing, where it is reshaping factories into data‑driven, resilient operations. Sanofi and peers report AI‑powered yield gains of 5‑10%, faster facility design via digital twins, and real‑time equipment monitoring that cuts...
Green Light for the EU’s ‘Battery Booster’
The European Commission has officially launched the Battery Booster Facility, a €1.5 bn (≈$1.62 bn) interest‑free loan program funded by ETS revenues to support battery‑cell production in Europe. The scheme, part of the earlier €1.8 bn Battery Booster Package, will open for proposals...
Upcoming Webinar – The Hidden Cost of Component Sourcing and How AI Is Fixing It
Manufacturers are overpaying for electronic components because pricing is opaque and benchmark data is scarce. ARC Advisory Group will host a webinar on June 23, 2026, featuring Lytica CEO Martin Sendyk to explain how real transactional data and agentic AI...
FMCSA Views Motus as a Way to Streamline Registration Processes for New Applicants
FMCSA launched Motus, a modern, secure platform that consolidates vehicle registration and access management for motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, intermodal providers and cargo‑tank facilities. In its first week the system received 120,000 new user applications, processed over 10,000 regulated...
Bunker Lead Times Grow Since US–Iran War Began
Since the US‑Iran conflict began, shipowners and traders have been extending bunker fuel booking lead times worldwide. Buyers are now securing very‑low‑sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) up to six weeks ahead, especially around the Strait of Hormuz, after a roughly 20%...
New Red Sea Threats ‘Would Not Change Much for Freight’
Iran‑aligned actors, including Yemen’s Houthis and Iran’s IRGC, issued fresh threats to close the Red Sea and Bab el‑Mandeb to Israeli shipping. Despite the warnings, major carriers such as Maersk, Hapag‑Lloyd and MSC continue to route container vessels around Africa’s Cape...
Container Shipping Lines Today – Are They Too Big to Fail?
The ten largest container shipping lines now control 84.7 % of global capacity, just 0.1 % below the January 2021 record. This concentration leaves shippers with few alternatives as capacity on key Asia‑Europe routes is fully booked, pushing freight rates higher. The dominance...
Milence Opens First HGV Charging Hub in Denmark
Milence, a joint venture of Daimler Truck, Traton and Volvo, opened its first public heavy‑duty vehicle (HGV) charging hub in Padborg, Denmark, on the German‑Danish border. The initial phase offers four CCS fast chargers delivering up to 400 kW, positioning the...
Electronics: Mexico’s New Export Darling Is an Old Nemesis in Disguise
Taiwanese electronics firms are rapidly relocating production to Mexico, attracted by proximity to the U.S. market and a desire to avoid China‑related supply‑chain risks. A Mexican consultant reports that eight manufacturers arrived since 2024, bringing the total to 14 factories...
Sourcing Journal to Host Inaugural Visions of Tomorrow Event This July
Sourcing Journal will host its inaugural Visions of Tomorrow conference on July 27 in New York, honoring four industry visionaries who are advancing sustainability, technology, product creation, and manufacturing in fashion supply chains. The event will feature cocktail networking, expert...
America’s Biggest Solar Factory Is Nearly Complete
South Korea‑based Qcells has begun solar‑cell production at its Cartersville, Georgia plant, the only vertically integrated solar factory in the United States. The facility’s module line is already assembling 16,700 panels daily and is slated to reach full capacity by...
Dallas, Houston Continue to Lead U.S. Industrial Real Estate Growth
The post‑pandemic warehouse boom is cooling, with U.S. industrial construction now 60% below its 2022 peak. Despite the slowdown, net absorption across the 25 largest markets rose 19% last year, led by Dallas‑Fort Worth, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Chicago and Houston. Dallas‑Fort...
JNPA Grants Ground Rent Relief as Truck Shortages Clog Box Flows
Indian shippers using the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) secured a 50% waiver on ground‑rent charges for import containers that overstayed due to severe truck‑driver shortages and yard congestion. The relief covers containers that arrived on or after May 1 and...
Why Europe Has the Dream, but Struggles to Build Freight-Tech Giants
Europe’s freight‑tech scene boasts innovative founders and early‑stage capital, but growth‑stage funding remains scarce. CEOs like Sennder’s David Nothacker note that once companies reach Series B‑C, European investors retreat, forcing firms to seek U.S. capital where exit routes are clearer. The...
Why Freight Decarbonisation Is Becoming an Infrastructure Race
GlobalData’s latest assessment finds freight decarbonisation will hinge on securing infrastructure, energy and supply chains rather than a single fuel. Tightening emissions regulations and rising demand create a split between firms that can lock in the necessary assets and those...
How Retailers Are Building More Resilient Delivery Networks in 2026
Retailers are abandoning single‑carrier reliance as e‑commerce volumes surge, dropping UPS, FedEx and USPS’s domestic share from 85% to 61% by 2025. The U.S. parcel market is set to reach 30.5 billion shipments by 2030, prompting a rise in regional carriers,...
Temper Your Expectations for the Hejaz Railway
Turkish transport minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu signed a multilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia, Syria and Jordan to revive the historic Hejaz Railway, linking Turkey to the Red Sea via Jordan’s Aqaba port. While the pact promises a direct over‑land freight corridor...
MSC Smashes Liner Market Share Record
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has set a new industry benchmark by capturing 21.5% of global container capacity in May, surpassing Maersk’s 19.3% peak in 2018. The Swiss carrier’s fleet now totals 7.33 million TEU after adding 831,400 TEU in 2025, the fastest...
DHL Broadens Its Asia-Pacific Data Centre Logistics Capabilities
DHL Supply Chain is scaling its Asia‑Pacific data‑center logistics footprint, adding over 30,000 m² of dedicated warehouse space now and planning a further 130,000 m² of built‑to‑suit capacity in Malaysia and Thailand within two years. The total regional infrastructure will surpass 160,000 m²,...
Amazon Opens New Northampton Fulfilment Centre as Part of £1bn Investment
Amazon opened a new 900,000‑square‑foot fulfillment centre in Northampton, featuring three floors of robotics and tens of millions of stored items. It also announced a 900,000‑sq‑ft Kettering site that will process about 20 million items each week and create roughly 2,000...
Rail Freight Wagon Tracking Set for Steady Growth, but Penetration Remains Limited
Rail freight wagon tracking devices are projected to grow from 875,000 units at the end of 2025 to nearly 1.4 million by 2030, according to Berg Insight. Annual shipments are expected to double to about 350,000 units by 2030, yet overall...
Dangerous Waters: Geopolitics, Supply Chains and Access to Medicines
Medicine shortages that have long plagued the industry are now being amplified by geopolitical turmoil, especially the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict that closed the Straits of Hormuz. The war stalled 20% of global oil output and 18% of air cargo, choking the...
Laser Tracker Technology Improves Inspection of Rail Vehicle Shock Absorber Mounts
Rail operators are adopting laser tracker technology to overhaul inspection of shock absorber mounts, critical components for bogie stability. The API Radian system delivers micron‑level accuracy over an 80‑meter radius and can collect up to 1,000 points per second, dramatically shortening...
Why the Port Fee Suspension Is Running Out of Road
In November 2025 the Trump administration halted Section 301 port fees on vessels linked to Chinese owners, framing the move as a diplomatic concession within a broader U.S.-China trade settlement. The suspension, originally intended as a temporary relief, is set...
Hong Kong Reviews Funding and Training Schemes to Strengthen Logistics Sector
Hong Kong’s government updated its logistics subsidy and training programmes to boost digital and green capabilities. The Pilot Subsidy Scheme now caps support at HK$2 million (≈$256,000) per enterprise, with 247 firms benefitting so far. The Professional Training on Smart and...
Freightos Weekly Update: Ocean Rates Climbing, with More Increases Expected Soon
Ocean freight rates are climbing sharply, with transpacific spot quotes reaching $4,800 per FEU on the West Coast and $6,300 on the East Coast—a weekly rise of over 50 %. The surge is driven by higher oil prices, an imminent 80 %...
DR Congo’s Curbs on Cobalt Spark Squeeze in Vital Battery Element
The Democratic Republic of Congo announced new restrictions on cobalt exports, capping shipments at roughly half of domestic production and imposing higher royalties. The policy, aimed at boosting state revenues and tightening control over a strategic mineral, has already pushed...
Robots, Intelligent Machines, and the New Era of Inspection
Manufacturers are entering a transformative era as robotics, 3D scanning, machine vision, deep learning, and augmented reality converge into what the author calls Physical AI. While U.S. robot density remains modest at roughly 307 robots per 10,000 workers, the technology...
Compact Six-Axis PiPER Arms Deliver Industrial Precision
PiPER #Robotic Arms: Compact Powerhouses with Six-Axis Precision and Industrial Versatility by @IntEngineering #Robots #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation https://t.co/dazepxTVqq
Honeywell Charts Automation, AI-Driven Future at 50th Anniversary User Group
Honeywell marked the 50th anniversary of its User Group in Phoenix, using the event to unveil a strategic split into three independent, publicly traded companies. The remaining entity, Honeywell Technologies, will become a pure‑play automation firm serving process, building and...