Today's Supply Chain Pulse
Shipowners stay cautious despite US‑Iran Hormuz reopening deal
President Trump announced a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ending the naval blockade that had closed the oil conduit since late February. Shipowners, however, remain wary, pointing to 57 recorded security incidents and lingering mines, and are opting for lower‑risk routes until safety can be assured.
Also developing:
By the numbers: GIA acquires 30% stake in De Beers' Tracr blockchain platform
Asean May Involve Private Sector in Oil Stockpiling Framework - Johari Ghani
ASEAN is weighing a private‑sector‑driven oil stockpiling framework to bolster long‑term energy security across the bloc. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said governments alone cannot execute the plan and suggested a pilot among three or four like‑minded members. The proposed mechanism would give all 11 ASEAN nations shared access to strategic reserves and could spur further investment in the region’s energy sector. The discussion came amid heightened concerns over the US‑Israel‑Iran war and US tariff pressures affecting ASEAN economies.
Chad P. Bown on What to Watch for at the Trump-Xi Summit
Chad P. Bown, senior research staff at the Peterson Institute, joined Fox’s LiveNOW to preview the upcoming Trump‑Xi summit. He highlighted that the meeting will intertwine economic issues with broader geopolitical power dynamics. Topics include the lingering U.S.–China trade dispute,...
Strait of Hormuz Crisis: Fertilizer Scarcity Will Affect Next Harvests and Food Supplies, FAO Warns
The FAO warned that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are creating a global fertilizer shortage that will depress crop yields and tighten food supplies in the latter half of 2026 and into 2027. Director‑General QU Dongyu told the MED9++...
Ukraine War Began Decline of Rules-Based Global Market
At the Marine Insurance Greece conference, Hellenic Chamber board member Yannis Triphyllis linked the Ukraine war to the unraveling of the rules‑based maritime market. Speakers highlighted the United States’ plunge from 63% to under 1% of global tonnage and China’s...
FedEx and ServiceNow Expand AI Partnership to Automate Global Supply Chains
FedEx and ServiceNow unveiled an expanded AI partnership at ServiceNow’s Knowledge 2026 conference in Las Vegas, embedding FedEx Dataworks into ServiceNow’s Source‑to‑Pay platform. The integration aims to give enterprises predictive visibility and automated workflow responses during supply‑chain disruptions.
Vori Secures $22 Million Series B to Build AI Operating System for Grocery Stores
Vori announced a $22 million Series B funding round led by Cherryrock Capital, with Greylock Partners and The Factory also participating. The capital will fund the rollout of an AI‑driven operating system that automates checkout, inventory, pricing and supplier interactions across...
Gartner Warns AI-Driven Hiring Freeze Could Backfire by 2030
At the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium in Orlando, analysts warned that pausing entry‑level hiring to accommodate AI could create talent shortages by 2030. Gartner's data shows 75% of supply‑chain firms that halted early‑career recruitment in 2026 will incur more than...
US Rare‑Earth Strategy Stalls as Permitting Delays Push Buyers to Non‑Chinese Sources
U.S. rare‑earth development is being held back by permitting that can add a decade to projects, while fresh procurement rules in the United States and Europe are nudging customers toward non‑Chinese producers such as Australia’s Lynas. The twin pressures expose...
Aptiv and Comau Sign MoU to Co‑Develop Next‑Gen Intelligent Automation Solutions
Aptiv PLC and Comau have entered a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop next‑generation intelligent automation solutions. The partnership targets advanced robotics, AI‑enabled logistics and safety systems, leveraging Aptiv’s perception and compute stack with Comau’s robotics deployment expertise.
Gartner Survey: AI Is Not Driving Supply Chain Operating Model Transformation
Gartner’s survey of 140 senior supply‑chain leaders reveals that only 17% are pursuing an immediate, AI‑driven redesign of their operating models, while 83% are applying AI incrementally to isolated use cases. Geopolitical volatility is spurring interest in AI‑orchestrated supply chains,...
The Rise of Drones for Taking Physical Inventory
Physical inventory counts, a GAAP‑mandated but disruptive task, are being transformed by autonomous drones that fly aisles, scan barcodes, QR codes or RFID tags, and upload data directly to warehouse management systems. The technology cuts cycle time from several days...
Clarksons Chair: Middle East Chaos Drives ‘Excellent’ Start to Year
Clarksons Plc reported an "excellent" start to 2026, attributing the performance to heightened shipping complexity caused by the Middle East war. Chair Laurence Hollingworth highlighted strong market fundamentals and a surge in demand for the broker's expertise up to May 6....
South African Miners Pivot to Atlantic Diesel Supplies
South African mining firms are redirecting diesel purchases from the Middle East to suppliers in the United States and Brazil. The shift follows a sharp rise in diesel prices linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which now...
SEKISUI KYDEX Awarded $3.1 Million in Pennsylvania Grants for Rail and Solar Projects
SEKISUI KYDEX, a thermoplastic manufacturer based in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, received two state grants totaling $3.1 million. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will provide $1 million for a rail siding that boosts freight efficiency and long‑term logistics capacity. A separate $2.1 million award from...
Nvidia Commits $300 Million to Corning for Three U.S. AI Fiber Plants
Nvidia is investing $300 million in Corning to construct three new optical‑fiber manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Texas. The plants will lift U.S. fiber output by more than 50% and create roughly 3,000 high‑paying jobs, securing a domestic supply chain...
Alha Group and Alaska Airlines Partner for New Rome-Seattle Service
Alha Group has been named the official cargo handling partner for Alaska Airlines’ new daily Rome‑Seattle service, which began on April 28 using a Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliner. The aircraft’s large belly capacity will carry high‑value exports such as aerospace components,...
Mark Robinson on Scape at 20
Scape marks its 20th anniversary after evolving from a post‑war school‑building consortium into a national framework provider serving 675 public‑sector clients across the UK. The group has delivered more than 2,000 projects and 3,500 commissions, and its next construction framework...
Looking Ahead to the Future of Infrastructure: Intelligent Monitoring and Diagnostic Systems for Maximum Availability
voestalpine Railway Systems has launched zentrak, an intelligent diagnostic platform that consolidates real‑time monitoring, analytics, visualisation and alarm functions for railway infrastructure. The solution delivers condition monitoring, early fault detection, custom KPIs and predictive maintenance forecasts across switches, train detection,...
Rwanda Seeks to Deepen Central Corridor Links Through SGR
Rwanda and Tanzania have signed an agreement to build a $2.5 billion standard‑gauge railway linking the port of Dar es Salaam to Kigali, with Rwanda seeking roughly $1.3 billion for its 150‑km stretch. The electrified line aims to cut transport costs, speed...
Swissport Marks 30 Years with Record Growth and Cargo Expansion
Swissport celebrated its 30th anniversary by posting a record €3.9 billion (≈$4.3 billion) revenue in 2025, a 9.3% increase driven by double‑digit growth in cargo (10%) and a 22% surge in its Aspire hospitality brand. The company now operates at 312 airports...
Solving the Procurement Puzzle: MakerStage’s Vision for Smarter, Compliant Medical Manufacturing
MakerStage is expanding its digital manufacturing platform to serve medical‑device OEMs, using AI‑driven routing that matches CNC, additive, or hybrid processes with ISO 13485‑certified suppliers. The system differentiates between prototype, clinical‑trial, and production stages, trimming lead times and costs while preserving...
DP World Launches Cargo War Risk Insurance for Middle East Conflict
DP World has introduced a cargo war‑risk insurance product aimed at the Middle East conflict zone. The policy offers end‑to‑end protection for ocean, air, port storage and inland transport, with zero deductible and coverage limits up to $400 million per shipment....
Transport Logistic Shanghai 2026 to Debut China Railway Express Joint Pavilion
Transport Logistic Shanghai 2026 will debut a dedicated China Railway Express Joint Pavilion, created in partnership with China Railway Container Transport Corp (CRCT). The pavilion showcases an expanded rail‑freight ecosystem, featuring more than 20 rail operators, logistics firms, container manufacturers...
RXO Gains Spot Market Share, Poised for Earnings Breakout
RXO earnings are out. Lots of momentum, setting up for a much stronger year, increasing outlook. Driven by increased spot activity, which is very different than what DAT is reporting on spot load posting volumes. It suggests that RXO is...
Roadzen’s VehicleCare Partners with Global Auto Parts Network TISAG-TEMOT to Build Integrated Claims-to-Repair Infrastructure in India
Roadzen’s AI‑driven VehicleCare platform has partnered with Germany‑based TEMOT’s global auto‑parts network to create an end‑to‑end claims‑to‑repair pipeline in India. The collaboration links VehicleCare’s garage connectivity with TEMOT’s distributor base, enabling demand aggregation, faster parts sourcing and better pricing for...
Evergreen Launches Peru–North Chile Service
Evergreen Marine Corporation will launch its Peru‑North Chile (PNC) service on May 13, 2026, using the 2,500‑TEU vessel LAKONIA 334 on a fixed 14‑day rotation. The route connects Chancay, Callao, Iquique and Arica before returning to Chancay, extending Evergreen’s West Coast...
“Value Doesn’t Run April to April” – Prof Andrew Stradling on NHS’s New Value Based Procurement Pilots
Prof Andrew Stradling, chief medical officer of the NHS London Procurement Partnership, outlined the NHS’s new value‑based procurement pilots running across 13 trusts. He warned that the current focus on easy clinical metrics such as infection rates and readmissions fails to capture...
First Chinese Tanker Attacked Near Hormuz As Beijing Urges Waterway Reopened
A Chinese-owned refined‑products tanker was struck and set ablaze near Al Jeer port in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first Chinese vessel hit in the three‑month U.S.–Iran conflict. The incident came as Iran escalated attacks on commercial ships following a...
Sharing Insights on Amazon Supply Chain Services with Loadstar
A big thank you to The Loadstar's Ian Putzger for our lovely chat about Amazon Supply Chain Services. Yeah, I know everyone is pretty much tired of this topic but I was happy to be asked my thoughts. Ian included...
HKMA Launches CargoX Pilot Programme to Expand Data-Driven Trade Finance
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has launched the CargoX Pilot Programme, enlisting 21 banks to test the use of cargo and trade data in trade‑finance workflows. The pilot will operate on the Commercial Data Interchange (CDI) platform, exploring data‑driven credit...
The Democratisation of Supply Chain Intelligence for SMEs
Supply chain intelligence, once limited to large enterprises, is now being democratized for small and medium‑sized businesses through affordable AI‑driven platforms. In the UK, 51% of retailers adopted AI in 2025, with 38% using it to speed delivery and improve...
DP World Launches “First-of-Its-Kind” Cargo War Risk Insurance
DP World has introduced a first‑of‑its‑kind cargo war‑risk insurance that spans ocean, air and land transport, targeting businesses operating through Middle East corridors such as the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz. The policy offers continuous coverage from...
Middle East Conflict Airspace Crisis Hits Crew Change Budgets
Airspace instability caused by the Middle East conflict is sharply raising crew‑change travel costs for the shipping industry. ATPI reports average airfare hikes of 110% on Asia‑Europe routes, with peak spikes up to 218%, while direct flight options have dwindled....
Tata and JSW to Spend $1bn Building India’s Way Out of Chinese Battery Dependence
India’s EV sector, heavily reliant on Chinese battery cells, faces supply‑chain risk after Beijing tightened export controls on graphite, lithium‑processing equipment and cell‑making machinery. In response, Tata Group and JSW Group have pledged just under $1 billion to fund multi‑year R&D...
Delfin Signs Long-Term LNG Supply Deal with Gunvor
Delfin Midstream’s subsidiary Delfin LNG has signed a 20‑year contract to supply 0.3 million tonnes per annum of LNG to commodity trader Gunvor. The cargo will be delivered FOB from the FLNG1 floating facility located about 40 nautical miles off Louisiana....
Swissport to Handle Atlas 747F Flights for K+N at Liege
Swissport has secured a long‑term ground‑handling contract to service Atlas Air’s Boeing 747‑8F freighter flights for logistics giant Kuehne + Nagel at Liege Airport. The deal builds on K+N’s 2022 charter of two of the final 747‑8Fs produced by Boeing, including the “Inspire”...
DoorDash Grocery Push Sparks 37% Marketplace Sales Surge
DoorDash said its first‑quarter marketplace gross order value hit $31.6 billion, a 37% year‑over‑year rise, as grocery delivery became the engine of growth. The company credited a surge in new grocery shoppers, record DashPass sign‑ups and AI‑driven operations for the jump.
Sinopec Books LNG Bunker Newbuild
China’s Sinopec Clean Energy has placed an order for a 12,000 cu m LNG bunkering vessel with Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (CIMC SOE). The contract, valued at roughly RMB 565 million (about $83 million), was awarded through Sinopec’s 2026 LNG bunkering vessel tender. The...
Japan Airlines Deploys Chinese Humanoid Robots at Haneda in First Large-Scale Trial
Japan Airlines has launched a two‑year pilot using Chinese‑made Unitree G1 and UBTech Walker E humanoid robots for ground‑handling at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The trial, run with GMO AI & Robotics, aims to prove labor‑saving potential amid Japan’s shrinking workforce. It marks the...
Excelerate Reroutes Newbuild FSRU to Jordan Amid Iraq Delays
Excelerate Energy has secured a nine‑month interim charter for its new‑build FSRU Excelerate Acadia with Jordan’s National Electric Power Company, slated to start mid‑2026 at the Aqaba LNG terminal. The charter is expected to add roughly $20 million of adjusted EBITDA...
Your Delivery Guy Might Be Your Brand Ambassador. (Sorry.)
In this episode of the Liquid Lunch Project, hosts Matthew Armiehan and Professor Luigi Rosa Bianca interview Randy Vlasic, founder of LIWMI Logistics, a third‑party trucking brokerage. Randy explains how his firm connects shippers with carriers, navigates rising diesel costs,...
Trump Says Iran Deal Possible as Tehran Reviews US Peace Proposal
Donald Trump told reporters a deal with Iran was "very possible" as Tehran reviews a U.S.-backed peace proposal that could formally end the war and launch talks on sanctions relief, shipping access and Iran's nuclear program. Iranian officials said a...
U.S. Diesel Stocks Hit 20-Year Low Amid Hormuz Closure
U.S. DISTILLATE STOCKS have fallen to the lowest for the time of year for more two decades as closure of the Strait of Hormuz creates a worldwide shortage of diesel and similar fuels. Since the war began, distillate inventories have...
Trump’s Trade Deal Signals U.S. Relinquishes China Strategy
Trump’s Board of Trade Move Signals the U.S. has Given Up on Changing China The U.S. president is set to agree on a new framework for U.S.-China commerce at his summit with Xi Jinping, but the details could prove tricky. Keep expectations...
Social Value as Strategy in Public Sector Procurement
The UK’s Social Value Act, now a core element of public‑sector procurement, requires buyers to assess how suppliers will benefit local communities, with a minimum 10% weighting that many councils have raised to 20‑30%. Guy Battle of the Social Value...
Social Value Becomes Strategic Tool in Public Procurement
Now playing on @artofsupply > Social Value as Strategy in Public Sector Procurement https://t.co/ioRYV36M3J @socialvalueport
Data‑Driven Shift: Industrial Economy Rebounds After November
Contrary to belief, I don't have a permanent perspective on freight markets or the economy. I follow the data. The industrial economy was a dog last year, but everything turned around in November, and we have been wide open...
Vitamin Shoppe Leader Talks Delivery Strategy
The Vitamin Shoppe has launched an in‑house same‑day delivery service on its website and app, using its network of over 700 stores as local fulfillment hubs. While it continues to partner with DoorDash, Uber Eats and Instacart, the new channel lets the...
US Tech Imports Surge 110% as Non‑tech Falls
since Liberation Day, US non-tech imports are down 10%. Tech imports are up 110% https://t.co/hEbs6NasJ8
Strengthening the Generic Drugs Supply Chain
The API Innovation Center published a whitepaper titled “From Fragility to Resilience,” highlighting weaknesses in the U.S. generic‑drug supply chain and proposing data‑driven solutions. The report, authored by VP Natalie de Graaf, identifies the most vulnerable drug classes and quantifies supply‑chain...