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
LR Completes Energy Transition Project for TMS Tankers
Lloyd’s Register’s Energy Transition Advisory has completed a vessel‑level strategy for TMS Tankers, one of Greece’s largest owners, covering more than 30 crude carriers. The project established carbon‑intensity baselines and modeled compliance risk under the EU’s CII, EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime rules. By benchmarking against over 300 comparable ships, LR identified operational tweaks such as speed optimisation, energy‑saving technologies and fuel‑switching options. A parallel fuel‑readiness report evaluated biofuels, LNG and ammonia against TMS’s trading patterns and bunkering infrastructure.
Satellite Manufacturing Supply Chain and the Industrial Base Behind Modern Spacecraft
Satellite manufacturing generated $17.2 billion in 2023, a modest slice of the $613 billion global space economy but a critical conversion hub for materials, electronics, and software into orbiting assets. The rise of low‑Earth‑orbit constellations is shifting the industry from one‑off, high‑value...
Pentagon Adds Alibaba, Baidu and BYD to China Military-Linked Firms List
The Pentagon has updated its 1260H list of China‑linked firms, adding tech giants Alibaba, Baidu and electric‑vehicle maker BYD along with biotech, lidar and robotics companies. Direct Department of Defense contracts with these firms will be prohibited later this month,...
Manufacturing Advance at NIST Uses Laser “Whisking” Method to Blend Metal Alloys
Researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology have created a laser‑based “whisking” technique that actively stirs molten metal during powder‑bed fusion. By programming the laser to follow looping paths, the method achieves atomic‑level mixing of difficult high‑entropy...
Antares Nuclear’s Mark‑0 Micro‑Reactor Hits Criticality, Paving Way for Modular Power Supply
Antares Nuclear announced that its Mark‑0 micro‑reactor reached initial criticality at Idaho National Laboratory, becoming the first privately developed advanced reactor to do so under the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program. The milestone validates key physics and supply‑chain data,...
Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf Says Economic Warfare Is the ‘New Normal’ for Military Conflicts—And the U.S. Needs to Get Serious
Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf warned that modern warfare has shifted from destroying military assets to inflicting economic pain, targeting data centers, oil refineries and shipping lanes. He cited the rapid pace of strikes in the Israel‑Iran conflict and the depletion...
Manufacturing Scales up as Canberra Firm Expands Target Drone Production
Canberra‑based defence maker Boresight has unveiled the BQ750, a larger target drone that expands on its BQ400 platform with greater endurance, payload and size. The new system integrates with Boresight’s Ground Control Station, allowing operators to manage up to ten...
![[Gasgoo Express] ByteDance Denies Plans to Manufacture Vehicles or Launch an Automotive Brand; Luxeed V9 Firm Orders Exceed 18,000 Units...](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://imagecn.gasgoo.com/moblogo/News/UEditor/image/20250610/6388517001938359565414136.jpg)
[Gasgoo Express] ByteDance Denies Plans to Manufacture Vehicles or Launch an Automotive Brand; Luxeed V9 Firm Orders Exceed 18,000 Units...
ByteDance issued a firm denial that it plans to build cars or launch an automotive brand, clarifying that its recent collaborations with Doubao and Volcano Engine focus on AI‑driven cockpit services rather than vehicle manufacturing. Meanwhile, the Luxeed V9 MPV,...
NAVEX Webinar — From Compliance to Resilience: Rethinking Supplier Intake in a Volatile World
NAVEX is hosting a live webinar titled “From Compliance to Resilience: Rethinking Supplier Intake in a Volatile World,” scheduled for June 24‑25, 2026. The session will explore how supplier intake processes can be reshaped to address heightened tariffs, sanctions, geopolitical conflict, and...
President Trump Further Adjusts Section 232 Tariffs on Aluminum, Steel, and Copper
On June 1, 2026 President Donald Trump issued a proclamation that revises the Section 232 tariffs on aluminum, steel and copper. The temporary changes, effective June 8, 2026 through December 31, 2027, expand the 15 % reduced‑rate category to agricultural equipment and residential HVAC, create a...
The Coming AI Reckoning: Slouching Toward Vendor Lock
In August 2025 the GSA’s OneGov program gave every federal agency access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini for $1 or $0.47 per agency, but only the user interfaces, not the underlying APIs. Four months earlier the VA signed...
France Rolls Out €10 Billion Electrification Pact as Stellantis Invests €1 Billion in EV Production
France announced a €10 billion‑per‑year national electrification program targeting a 60% domestic electricity mix by 2030 and the creation of 600,000 jobs. At the same time, Stellantis confirmed a €1 billion investment in Mulhouse to launch three new Peugeot EVs, underscoring a...
US Retailers Forecast Early — and Brief — Peak Shipping Season
U.S. retailers lifted their June import forecast, signaling an early peak in the shipping season as they front‑load fall and holiday merchandise to sidestep looming tariffs and potential fuel price spikes. Trans‑Pacific container spot rates have surged to their highest...
Hellmann Expands Automotive Logistics Network with New Dubai Hub
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has broken ground on a 28,000 sqm automotive logistics hub in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone. The facility will handle spare‑part storage, high‑density bins and oversized components, expanding capacity for existing customers and future growth. Hellmann cites a...
Containers Say ‘Hold My Disruptions’ as Ocean Rates Surge
Global container traffic proved resilient in April, reaching 16.2 million TEU, a 4% year‑on‑year gain despite the Iran‑Hormuz conflict. The CTS Global Price Index leapt 12% to 89 points, the steepest rise since June 2024, reflecting heightened freight costs. Trans‑Pacific rates...
C.H. Robinson’s Next AI Step: Adding Engineer to the Planner
C.H. Robinson is rolling out a new Lean AI Engineer, the next layer on its already‑deployed Lean AI Planner that now autonomously handles about 92% of Managed Solutions shipments. The Engineer continuously audits supply‑chain networks, flags inefficiencies and proposes fixes...
New Lawsuit Accuses UniUni of Sabotaging Rival’s Deliveries After Lost Contract
Canadian last‑mile carrier UniUni is facing a lawsuit from Point2Point Global alleging the company deliberately stopped delivering more than 16,000 packages after losing a contract to a rival. The complaint claims UniUni charged roughly $730,000 in fees for undelivered shipments,...
How Should Supply Chains Connect OMS, WMS and TMS for Agility?
Supply chains that keep Order Management (OMS), Warehouse Management (WMS) and Transportation Management (TMS) in separate silos suffer slow handoffs, data blind spots and escalating costs. Integrating these three systems into a single, real‑time execution layer eliminates the lag between...
TTD to Congress: U.S. Merchant Marine Needs Tax Incentives and Government Cargo
The Transportation Trades Department of the AFL‑CIO urged Congress on June 8 to adopt a suite of measures aimed at reviving the U.S. Merchant Marine. The policy calls for mandatory use of U.S.-flag vessels for all federal cargo, a 200 % tax...
U.S. Forces Disable Sanctioned Shadow-Fleet Tanker Bound for Iran
U.S. Central Command reported that an F/A‑18 Super Hornet from the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln struck the Palau‑flagged tanker M/T Marivex in the Gulf of Oman, disabling its engineering and steering systems after the crew ignored repeated orders. The vessel,...
How Three Simultaneous Shocks Are Reshaping Global Shipping
The article identifies three concurrent disruptions reshaping global shipping: dark transits that hide cargo in untracked routes, secondary rate contagion where freight price spikes spread from major lanes to secondary corridors, and a revived Houthi blockade in the Red Sea...
ArcBest, ABF Freight Announce 5.9% Rate Increase
ArcBest and its LTL subsidiary ABF Freight announced a general rate increase of about 5.9% effective June 22, 2026. The hike follows a 10% year‑over‑year revenue rise in the asset‑based segment and a 5% tonnage increase, even as daily shipments slipped...
Argentina Gives $10 Billion Parana River Upgrade to Jan De Nul, Raising US‑China Stakes
Argentina’s government under President Javier Milei awarded a 25‑year, $10 billion contract to Belgian dredger Jan de Nul to deepen the Parana River, a key export corridor. The deal, linked to Chinese partners, has amplified U.S. concerns over Beijing’s growing influence in...
Nvidia Partners with SK Hynix to Supply Memory for Vera AI Chips, Boosting Telecom AI Infrastructure
Nvidia announced a multiyear partnership with South Korean memory maker SK Hynix to co‑develop AI‑optimized DRAM for its new Vera AI processors. The deal, revealed on June 8, coincided with a 7.7% drop in SK Hynix shares and a modest 1.4%...
Brown-Forman Pauses Slane Irish Whiskey Distillery Amid Falling Demand
Brown‑Forman announced it will pause production at the Slane Irish Whiskey distillery in Ireland for an indefinite period, citing a 2.2% decline in U.S. spirits sales and overstocked inventory. The shutdown affects a facility built for 600,000 cases a year...
Despite Slight Pullback, May Logistics Manager’s Index Reading Remains Elevated
The Logistics Manager’s Index (LMI) posted a May reading of 69.5, a modest 0.4% dip from April but still well above the 50‑point growth threshold. The decline was driven by a 1.5% slide in inventory levels and a modest rise...
Keeping Cargo Moving with Digital Precision
Air freight operators face soaring costs and chronic capacity gaps, turning routine disruptions into strategic threats. Exfresso’s founder Scott Conley argues that the next efficiency wave lies not in isolated tools but in a connective digital operating layer that synchronises...
Octave’s Austin Event Highlights the Move Toward Industrial Lifecycle Intelligence
Octave, the Hexagon AB spin‑off, hosted its inaugural Live OnTour event in Austin on June 17‑18, 2026, unveiling a comprehensive software suite organized into Design, Build, Operate and Protect pillars that deliver lifecycle intelligence and AI‑enabled decision support for asset‑intensive...
International Paper Taps CPKC for Rail Needs at Mississippi Facility
International Paper broke ground on a 468,000‑square‑foot packaging plant in Rankin County, Mississippi, and partnered with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) to provide rail service. CPKC will manage inbound raw‑material deliveries and outbound product distribution from day one, leveraging its...
ABS Sets Out Technical View on IMO Mid-Term Measures and Pathway to Decarbonization
Classification society ABS released an open letter outlining a practical path forward for IMO mid‑term measures. The document, titled “The ABS View: A Practical Path Forward on IMO Mid‑Term Measures,” draws on a data‑driven assessment of fuel availability, technology readiness,...
U.S. Rail Carload and Intermodal Volumes See Strong May Gains, Reports AAR
The Association of American Railroads’ May Rail Industry Overview shows rail carload volumes up 2.5% year‑over‑year—their strongest level since 2019—and intermodal shipments climbing 8.1% to a record high. The Freight Rail Index reached a 17‑month peak, indicating broader goods‑sector momentum....
Google Orders Chips From Intel and Nvidia Is Testing Its Tech, as TSMC’s Grip on AI Starts to Strain
Google placed a firm order for more than three million Intel‑made tensor processing units (TPUs) slated for 2028, while Nvidia is conducting early trials of Intel’s 18A process and multi‑chip packaging. The moves reflect growing AI‑chip supply concerns as TSMC...
Asian Player Enters South America with Multi-Year Job for Argentina LNG Project
India’s Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) has secured a decade‑long marine services contract for Argentina’s first LNG export project, the FLNG Hilli Episeyo, marking the group’s entry into South America. The deal, awarded to its subsidiary Adani Harbour International...
Iran Levies $1‑2 Million Hormuz Toll, Sending Shipping Costs Soaring
Iran announced a $1.5‑2 million levy on every foreign vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz, immediately inflating freight rates for oil and container traffic. The move, timed amid renewed Israel‑Iran strikes, threatens to tighten an already fragile global supply chain.
China’s Rare‑Earth Export Controls Tighten U.S. Supply Chains
China placed seven heavy rare earth elements under mandatory export licensing in April 2025 and expanded the controls in October, leaving terbium, dysprosium and yttrium subject to case‑by‑case approval. The move has driven a sharp price split and forced U.S....
US Policy Debate Over Taiwan's Chip Dominance Sparks Consumer Tech Supply‑Chain Concerns
Columnist Trudy Rubin notes that former President Donald Trump has frozen a $14 bn weapons sale to Taiwan, heightening fears that any disruption to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) could cripple the supply chain for smartphones, laptops and AI‑driven devices. Experts...
What Pharma Leaders Must Get Right for Supply Chain Modernization Strategy
Pharma executives are treating supply chain modernization as a core strategic priority, driven by recent global disruptions, drug shortages, and mounting cost pressures. In a recent interview, PwC’s Rafael Lander outlined how AI‑enabled forecasting, digitally connected quality operations, and integrated...
Supply Chain Modernization Is Now Strategy: What Pharma Leaders Must Get Right
Pharma supply chains have shifted from a back‑office function to a strategic revenue driver amid global disruptions, drug shortages, and cost pressures. Rafael Lander of PwC explains that modernizing logistics with AI forecasting, digital quality, and risk dashboards can boost...
SIA Engineering and Safran Form 51-49 Joint Venture for LEAP Engine MRO in Singapore
SIA Engineering Company Limited and Safran Aircraft Engines have signed a joint‑venture agreement to establish a full‑scale CFM LEAP engine MRO facility in Singapore. Safran will hold a 51% equity stake while SIAEC retains 49%, integrating existing quick‑turn operations into...
Rheinmetall Secures €1.015 Billion Bundeswehr Order for Over 2,000 Military Transport Vehicles
Rheinmetall’s defence vehicle unit RMMV secured a €1.015 billion (≈$1.11 billion) contract from Germany’s Bundeswehr to deliver more than 2,000 unarmored logistics trucks. The vehicles are based on the HX tactical truck family, covering 3.5‑tonne 4×4, 5‑tonne 6×6 and 15‑tonne 8×8 variants...
Nvidia, SK Hynix Ink Multiyear AI Memory Deal as Enterprise Demand Soars
Nvidia Corp. and South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix have signed a multiyear technology partnership to co‑develop next‑generation memory for Nvidia’s AI supercomputers and other platforms. The deal comes as both firms race to meet exploding enterprise demand for AI‑focused hardware,...
Indian PE Importers Wary of Duty Deadline, Forex
India’s polyethylene importers are pausing new bookings as the temporary 7.5% import‑duty waiver for PE, PP and PVC, introduced in April, approaches its June 30 expiry and the rupee remains volatile. The prospect of the duty returning is prompting caution, while...
Logistics Costs at 4 Year High
The May Logistics Managers’ Index (LMI) rose to 250.9, the highest reading since March 2022, driven by a record‑fast expansion in transportation prices that hit 96.0. While overall expansion slowed slightly to 69.5, inventory costs surged to 84.1 and warehousing capacity...
Montra Electric Deploys 100 Electric Reefer Trucks in India
Montra Electric has rolled out a fleet of 100 Eviator 350 electric refrigerated trucks for More Retail, the grocery chain’s quick‑commerce arm. The trucks, built in partnership with Green Drive Mobility and TVS Vehicle Mobility Solutions, can keep cargo between –25 °C...
The US Wants NATO Allies to Spend Their New Defence Budgets Ripping Out Huawei
The U.S. State Department is urging NATO members to treat the removal of Huawei equipment as a defence‑related expense, allowing it to be funded under the alliance’s new 1.5% of GDP defence‑related budget slice. The suggestion, made by China coordinator...
Details of Potential £40bn ‘National Cloud’ Deal Due This Week
Whitehall officials have outlined a National Cloud Infrastructure Procurement (NCIP) that could lock in up to £40 billion (about $51 billion) of cloud contracts over the next decade. The initiative, driven by the Cabinet Office and the Department for Science, Innovation and...
Solaris, VDL, Hess and Beulas Call on EU to Support European Bus Manufacturing
European bus makers Beulas, HESS, Solaris and VDL have sent an open letter to EU leaders urging the introduction of “Made in Europe” content rules in publicly funded bus procurement. They argue that third‑country rivals, especially Chinese firms, now control...
Near-Record Transpac Spot Rate Surge a ‘Harbinger of Instability’, Says Sea-Intelligence
Container spot rates on the transpacific route to the U.S. West Coast surged $1,092 per 40‑ft container, marking one of the biggest weekly jumps since the World Container Index began in 2012. Sea‑Intelligence found only two larger week‑on‑week increases on...
The Future of Drone Tech: Mid-Range Drones
Ukraine is rapidly retrofitting inexpensive commercial drones with small processors and memory chips, giving them autonomous target‑identification and strike capability at ranges of 10‑200 km. The upgrades enable the drones to locate and engage moving targets, turning the battlefield’s rear...
Germany Ups Diesel Imports Despite Domestic Oversupply
Germany will see diesel imports rise to about 322,000 t in June, a 25 % increase from May, with U.S. cargoes now making up roughly half of the volume. Domestic refineries such as PCK Schwedt, Miro and Bayernoil are experiencing persistent surplus, prompting...