Know What's Happening in Supply Chain
Know What's Happening in Supply Chain
Iranian drone strikes hit Kuwait’s oil infrastructure ahead of OPEC+ talks
Iranian drones struck Kuwait’s oil infrastructure, causing severe material damage to petrochemical plants, a government office complex and desalination facilities, just hours before an OPEC+ meeting where members agreed in principle to raise output by 206,000 barrels per day in May.
Also developing:
Lufthansa Cargo announced that it expects to operate nearly all scheduled freighter flights despite a two‑day cockpit crew strike on March 12‑13, 2026. The Vereinigung Cockpit union called the walk‑out affecting departures from Germany, though Middle‑East routes are exempt. Only a handful of rotations, such as Frankfurt‑Beijing and Frankfurt‑Istanbul, are slated for cancellation, while over half of passenger flights will still run. Partner airlines and joint‑venture carriers are providing additional belly‑hold space to cushion any service gaps.
The escalating war between Iran and the Taliban‑Pakistan front is jeopardizing Central Asia’s planned southbound trade routes. Ongoing fighting threatens the Uzbekistan‑Afghanistan‑Pakistan railway, the TAPI gas pipeline, and the CASA‑1000 power line, while U.S.–Israel attacks on Iran disrupt shipping and...
APM Terminals Suape has received 28 fully electrified equipment units from SANY, a $47 million investment that pushes the project into its final construction phase. The $350 million terminal, slated to open in the second half of 2026, will initially handle 400,000...
Grubhub announced a three‑month pilot with Dexa to deliver food via drones from Wonder’s Green Brook location in New Jersey, marking the state’s first FAA‑certified commercial drone food delivery. Eligible customers within a 2.5‑mile radius can order through the Grubhub...
Logistics teams must follow a structured process to get storage containers delivered to construction or industrial job sites, beginning with a thorough site assessment to ensure clear access and a stable surface. Selecting the appropriate container size—ranging from 10 to...
◾️Saudi Arabia deserves more recognition for its prudent, forward-thinking approach—strategically prepositioning oil in storage facilities around the world to hedge against potential supply disruptions. ◾️What @AlexLawler100 missed in this story is going back to previous reports to see that...
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has filed comments supporting the Surface Transportation Board's (STB) proposal to repeal 49 CFR Part 1144 and revive reciprocal switching reforms. The ACC argues that outdated rules and the consolidation of railroads into six major...
Maersk has begun sourcing marine fuel from the United States and Europe to supply its Asian fleet, after recent disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz left key Middle‑East and Asian bunkering hubs unable to meet demand. Chief commercial officer Karsten...
Union Pacific CEO urged detractors of the pending UP‑NS merger to stop dwelling on past rail consolidations and look ahead to the benefits of a combined network. The merger, filed with the Surface Transportation Board, seeks to create America’s first...
CNC Line announced an Emergency Fuel Surcharge (EFS) for intra‑Asia shipments, effective 16 March 2026. The surcharge is USD 75 per TEU for dry, flat‑rack, open‑top, tank and special equipment containers, and USD 90 for reefers. It covers routes across China, Southeast...
Tariff announcements create abrupt ordering swings that ripple through pharmaceutical sourcing, pricing and inventory, often leaving manufacturers and distributors with surplus stock or shortages. The article argues that these tariff‑driven shocks become operational risks when companies rely on partial visibility...
The British International Freight Association (BIFA) met with the European Commission to review how the Windsor Framework is shaping freight flows between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. While the agreement removed export declarations for GB‑to‑NI shipments, it still forces operators...
Lödige Industries has introduced Cargo Direct, a software module that links Air Waybill data with terminal resources in real time to orchestrate air cargo handling. The solution consolidates shipment details, layout, equipment and labor into a dynamic activity plan, directing...
A mid-sized Oregon permaculture business used an AI role‑play sandbox to rehearse supplier negotiations and secured a 14.5% discount on bulk inputs. The approach relied on seven tailored prompts that simulated a tough negotiator, forcing the owner to practice under...
Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) has been approved by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority and confirmed by the European Commission as an official on‑site inspection site for Products of Non‑Animal Origin (PNAO). The designation enables mandatory phytosanitary checks...
Softlink Global has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) to embed practical logistics technology into technical curricula across India. The deal introduces Softlink’s LogiLEARN, LogiSKILL and LogiXPERT platforms, giving students and faculty hands‑on...
Gebrüder Weiss closed 2025 with €2.73 bn net revenue, a modest year‑on‑year rise, while keeping its equity ratio above 60% and a stable workforce of roughly 8,600. Growth was led by European land transport and a 7% increase in logistics services,...
Jeff Currie, former head of commodity research at Goldman Sachs, warned that the ongoing disruption of the Strait of Hormuz makes oil prices virtually unstoppable in the near term, and no policy response—such as strategic petroleum reserve releases or government...
Freightos will integrate Ethiopian Cargo into its WebCargo platform by month‑end, adding digital rates, quoting, e‑booking, interlining and instant payments via WebCargo Pay. Ethiopian Airlines, operating Africa’s largest air‑cargo network across more than 145 destinations, will become searchable and bookable...
Portugal’s state railway CP has signed an addendum to its Alstom‑DST contract, boosting the order from 117 to 153 Adessia Stream electric multiple units. The extra 36 commuter trains lift the total investment to €1.064 billion, with €318 million allocated to the...
Ocado is pivoting from large fulfillment centers to a store‑based e‑commerce model after its exclusive Kroger partnership ended. The company is promoting a 4,000‑5,000 sq ft system that stores roughly 20,000 products and blends grid‑based robotics with human pickers. Ocado plans to...
On March 10 the U.S. Department of Commerce hosted a roundtable with leaders from robotics, artificial intelligence, manufacturing and investment to chart how the United States can scale Physical AI‑enabled robotics. The discussion covered domestic supply‑chain strengthening, talent pipelines, digital...
The primary driver is the escalating conflict in West Asia involving Iran, Israel, and the US. This has effectively choked the Strait of Hormuz, the maritime gateway for nearly 90% of India's LPG imports. While the government has prioritized domestic supply...
The freight market is confronting a multi‑layered risk environment as cargo theft shifts from opportunistic grabs to organized fraud, with incidents up 93% since 2021 and strategic theft soaring over 1,400%. Shippers and 3PLs are moving from one‑time carrier checks...
Eli Lilly announced a $3 bn, ten‑year investment to expand its Chinese supply chain for the oral GLP‑1 weight‑loss drug orforglipron. The plan adds oral solid‑dosage capacity in Beijing, expands the Suzhou injection hub, and includes a $200 m CDMO partnership with Pharmaron....
Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas Inc. will rebrand to Logisnext Americas, with the change taking effect on April 30, 2026. The move aligns the U.S. operation with Mitsubishi Logisnext’s Vision 2035, a long‑term strategy to unify its global material‑handling brands. As part of...
🚨HORMUZ UPDATE 11 MARCH🚨 ▶️The story in the Persian Gulf and Strait has changed. ▶️The initial shutdown of shipping was due to insurance. That has largely been resolved through commercial contracts. ▶️The issue now is not fiscal security, by the physical security of...
President Donald Trump said he didn’t believe Iran was laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Asked Wednesday whether Iran had laid mines in the strait, Trump told reporters, “We don’t think so. Trump also urged oil companies to send their...
Siemens Mobility will launch a new rail‑vehicle production centre at duisport’s Logport I in Duisburg‑Rheinhausen, with construction finishing by the end of 2026 and operations starting in early 2027. The €25 million investment includes a production hall equipped with five cranes, two...
Diesel prices for U.S. truckers rose a record 96 cents a gallon this past week, a sign of the financial strains hitting supply chains following the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. https://t.co/C9K90LaXGX
Mexican govt data & port authorities show that Mexico’s ports handled 2,262,289 vehicles in intl maritime traffic in 2025, down from 2,291,894 units in 2024. Jan 2026 - Mexican ports handled 137,225 vehicles, up 16.9% from the same month in 2025. https://t.co/vfeHmfG2ty
Framework announced a third consecutive monthly increase in DDR5 RAM prices, now ranging from $13 to $18 per GB, a modest $1‑2 rise compared with earlier hikes. The company also disclosed higher SSD costs after depleting its low‑cost inventory, urging customers...
Ten seafarers have now been killed in 13 attacks on merchant vessels since the Iran conflict erupted on February 28.
According to everyone I have spoken to, the insurance issue has been largely resolved and ships have sufficient war risk coverage. The issue now, is the safety and security of the region, which falls upon @CENTCOM and @US5thFleet and the regional...
After a year marked by more than 30 multistate food‑borne outbreaks, the food industry has identified a cold‑chain visibility gap that allows temperature excursions to go undetected during system handoffs. Ambient IoT, using battery‑free BLE tags, offers continuous, real‑time temperature...
"Record Diesel-Price Surge Hits U.S. Truckers, Retailers and Manufacturers" https://t.co/5jBpvH4MCa "Most large trucking companies will pass the added costs on to American stores and factories..." Fortunately, US factories aren't already facing soaring costs, so it's fi- oh. https://t.co/ZU45kzcUbj
Western Australian farmers are confronting diesel shortages after metropolitan panic‑buying drained regional supplies, leaving some farms waiting up to three weeks for fuel deliveries. The scarcity threatens critical seeding and harvesting operations on wheatbelt, potato and horticultural farms, with limited...
Cool Carriers, the world’s largest specialized reefer operator, has taken delivery of Snow Flower, the first of a seven‑ship Snow class built by Kitanihon Shipbuilding. The vessel can carry 5,000 high‑cube pallets and up to 168 refrigerated containers, offering 630,000‑660,000...
Nufox Rubber used reverse engineering to recreate obsolete rubber seals for the UK’s Class 158 trains, addressing a parts shortage that threatens long‑lived rolling stock. The company digitised the original component, developed in‑house tooling, and produced fire‑rated seals meeting EN45545‑2 HL3 standards....
Bangladesh’s ready‑made garment (RMG) sector reported a 3.73% year‑on‑year decline in exports, totaling US$25.80 billion for the first eight months of FY2025‑26. The Export Promotion Bureau data highlight a slowdown in the country’s largest industrial export earner. The dip coincides with...
UPS is executing its largest network consolidation while deliberately shedding about 50% of its Amazon volume by mid‑2026. The carrier has cut 30,000 jobs, closed 24 parcel‑sort facilities and is automating remaining sites to boost profitability. CFO Brian Dykes said...
Norfolk Southern and Progress Rail will convert 96 DC‑traction SD70M‑2 locomotives to AC traction, with deliveries scheduled from 2027 to 2029. The upgrades include individual‑axle control, ADEM® diesel engine management and remanufactured 16‑cylinder EMD 710 engines delivering 4,300 hp. NS claims...
After the holiday rush, warehouses and 3PLs face a wave of returns that exposes hidden operational friction. Lingering backlogs, shifting bottlenecks, and slow reintegration of sellable inventory tie up space and capital. Manual tracking and limited data visibility further strain...
Senator Jim Banks introduced “Dalilah’s Law,” requiring all CDL holders to be recertified by their state within six months and prohibiting licenses for non‑citizens, permanent residents, or certain visa holders. The bill links compliance to federal highway and bridge funding,...
HOJ Innovations, a Utah‑based warehouse inventory software veteran with over 60 years of experience, announced the launch of an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) division in late October 2025. The new hardware arm integrates directly with its WarehouseOS platform, leveraging a...
ZF will supply almost 3,000 two‑stage spur‑gear gearboxes for Hamburg’s new driverless U5 line and the accompanying DT6 fleet, a contract spanning roughly 15 years. The gearboxes feature a lightweight aluminum housing, low‑noise operation and reduced oil requirements, delivering 95 kW...
On February 27, 2026 the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) released a new Request for Project Proposals (RPP) focused on thirteen strategic and critical minerals, with Phase 1 submissions due March 20. The solicitation follows Executive Order 14241 and aims to diversify U.S....
Phison’s CEO reported that NAND flash prices surged roughly 50% overnight as AI‑driven demand outstrips supply. Enterprise SSD sales now represent 30% of revenue, up from 10% a quarter earlier, reflecting a strategic pivot toward cloud and hyperscaler customers. To...
Pilferage represented 43% of all cargo thefts in 2025 and it is only rising in 2026 https://t.co/lD0SFI1sIt
Chiesi Group and inhalation CDMO Bespak have expanded their long‑standing partnership by increasing pressurized metered‑dose inhaler (pMDI) manufacturing capacity at Bespak’s Holmes Chapel, UK site. The move supports Chiesi’s Carbon Minimal Inhaler (CMI) program, which targets up to a 90 %...
