Know What's Happening in Supply Chain
Know What's Happening in Supply Chain
Ningbo Ocean Shipping launches $390M fleet and container expansion
Ningbo Ocean Shipping's board approved a capital program exceeding $390 million to boost its fleet and container inventory. Up to $246 million will fund four 1,900‑TEU feeder vessels, while $145 million is earmarked for acquiring 64,500 TEU of new containers.
Also developing:
Logistics.com unveiled OptiBid 3, the latest version of its transportation procurement platform, enabling shippers to run multi‑mode freight bidding events and conduct advanced data analysis. The solution integrates directly with the company’s OptiManage 7 TMS, allowing procurement decisions to flow into execution. Earlier OptiBid deployments have served roughly 35 Fortune 500 shippers and over 2,000 carriers, processing more than $7 billion in recurring freight and delivering $480 million in savings. Customers such as Honeywell, REI, Smithfield Foods and United Stationers have already signed on.
Advanced machining, especially Swiss‑type lathes, is reshaping supply chains across medical, aerospace, and automotive sectors. Companies now prioritize reliability, ultra‑tight tolerances, and scalable production over pure cost. The rise of complex, high‑precision components demands deep material expertise and integrated quality...
Diesel prices are up $1/gallon or $.14/mile versus a year ago. That is significant for truckers that operate in the spot market, but it is far from catastrophic. Trucking spot rates are up $.51/mile in that same period. Even with the...
Finnair Cargo has renewed its partnership with Accelya, keeping the Accelya Cargo platform as the backbone of its commercial, operational, ground‑handling and revenue‑accounting functions. The platform automates rating, warehouse operations, billing and settlement, delivering end‑to‑end accuracy across Finnair’s cargo network....
france sending warships to the med/red sea and potentially toward hormuz — framing it as “strictly defensive” and about freedom of navigation. message: europe won’t be (completely) sidelined as us–israel–iran escalation hits shipping lanes and pushes oil toward $100+.
MOSCOW, March 9 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the Iran war had triggered a global energy crisis and cautioned that oil production dependent on transport through the Strait of Hormuz could soon come to a...
Procure Impact has partnered with Highgate to embed social procurement across the hotel chain’s portfolio, creating curated marketplaces featuring more than 6,000 mission‑driven products. The collaboration will roll out in 2026, integrating these items into amenities and guest touchpoints. Highgate...
And as the forecasted 2026 LNG supply glut disappeared, I couldn’t help but wonder… was I too one supply shock away from flipping into a deficit? https://t.co/gGw2ZO9NRr
How about no? Trump Tells Ships to ‘Show Some Guts’ in Hormuz as Seafarer Death Toll Rises https://t.co/jVzMgCqdbF
The article highlights a hidden bottleneck in the magnet supply chain: while the United States possesses rare‑earth deposits, it lacks domestic capacity to separate, purify, and produce permanent magnets. China controls roughly 99 % of the downstream magnet processing and manufacturing....
Oil tankers transiting Strait of Hormuz ‘must be very careful,’ Iran foreign ministry warns: CNBC $USO $XLE
Read @JavierBlas on the oil pipeline that could ameliorate the closure of the Straight of Hormuz https://t.co/hfkrPgLpIy https://t.co/BIgHZhk6rA
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced it will create a refund process for Trump‑era tariffs invalidated by the Supreme Court, aiming to launch within 45 days. The agency has not yet detailed how importers will file refunds in the Automated...
Thermal Grizzly scammed out of $46,000 by Alibaba metals suppliers — company spread the risk across two copper and aluminum suppliers, only for both to send cheaper, fake materials https://t.co/7liDuS2RIf
Some weekly inputs are coming into our nowcast-model today, and it looks pretty painful to be honest. Especially in growth terms. The shipping/trucking/export/import volumes look bad. Really bad. So this is starting to impact the economy (already)..
Bulgaria and North Macedonia have agreed to complete their first rail border crossing by 2030, featuring a 2.4‑kilometre tunnel under the Deve Bair mountain. The tunnel, costing roughly €69 million, is slated for Bulgarian completion by the end of 2028, after...
Don’t Predict Oil Prices, Prepare for Them - https://t.co/MNGa0kJy3v #oilprices #peakoil #supplychain #logistics #riskmanagement #decisionscience
The third edition of the Battery Atlas 2026, released by RWTH Aachen University, maps Europe’s entire lithium‑ion battery value chain. While more than 2,000 GWh of cell capacity was announced in 2023, the realistic outlook for early 2026 is about 1,190 GWh,...
The article examines the Union Pacific‑Norfolk Southern merger, describing it as a 1,550‑pound “gorilla” that will dominate U.S. rail markets. It estimates that 25% of 2 million truckloads—about 500,000 units—could shift to rail over 7‑10 years if rates justify the switch,...
Ter Hoek, a Dutch precision‑metal specialist, has adopted XJet’s Carmel 1400C ceramic 3‑D‑printing system, introducing NanoParticle Jetting (NPJ) technology to its production line. The move expands the company’s material portfolio from metals to high‑performance ceramics, enabling complex, high‑precision parts for aerospace, semiconductor...
Xeneta’s March 5 report warns that the Iran‑U.S./Israel conflict is reshaping the 2026 air cargo outlook. February showed a 6 % YoY volume rise and spot rates up 5 % to $2.58/kg, indicating resilience. With the Strait of Hormuz closed, jet‑fuel costs could...
Tankers should be surging, but broad market again missing forest (insanely strong markets, cascading inefficiency) for the trees (worry abt handful of ships at anchor). Top two public #shipping trades: $DHT ($18.36) $STNG ($77.75) Bookmark, check in a month. 20-30%+ potential.
CMA CGM completed its first biomethanol bunkering at Shanghai’s Yangshan terminal, loading 3,643 tons of renewable fuel onto the 13,000‑TEU CMA CGM Osmium. The operation set a Chinese record for the largest single biomethanol bunkering move at a port. Fuel was supplied by Shanghai...
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has partnered with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HD Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries to launch a joint development project for a nuclear‑powered electric propulsion system. The collaboration will produce a conceptual design, electrical...
People recoil at the idea of using the SPR just to damp prices. But now that the US has plenty of domestic oil, what other purposes would it serve? What other conditions would be an appropriate time to use it?
I know that the Chinese Navy has a Type 055 and 052 in the area, but I am not sure if they are escorting.
SAAM reported record 2025 results, posting $80.4 million net income and a 15% EBITDA rise to $216.9 million, driven by robust towage operations. Revenue grew 9% to over $526 million in the towage segment, delivering a 35.6% margin, while its Aerosan logistics unit...
How will Xi play Taiwan? How will Trump respond? What will it mean to the odds of China blockading or attacking Taiwan? And your supply chain?
Aldi has launched a $35.1 million renovation of its Baldwin, Florida distribution center, converting the former C&S Wholesale Grocers site into a modern hub for perishable and dry goods. The upgrade, split between $22 million for 391,600 sq ft of refrigerated space and $13 million...
ZIM Integrated Shipping Services posted 2025 revenue of $6.9 billion, an 18% decline from 2024, while net income fell to $481 million, down 78%. TEU volumes slipped only marginally to 3.66 million, but average freight rates dropped to $1,551 per TEU. The carrier...
Escalating US‑Israel and Iran conflict is disrupting tech hubs across the Middle East, prompting global giants like Microsoft, Nvidia and Amazon to shut their Dubai offices and shift staff to remote work. Indian founders based in Dubai report that day‑to‑day...
Serna’s Trucking LLC, a San Marcos‑based carrier founded in 2006, filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition in the Western District of Texas. The filing lists debts under $3.4 million, qualifying it for a small‑business restructuring, and assets of roughly $545 k, dominated...
FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index jumped to 9.3 in January 2026, the strongest reading since February 2022, signalling a markedly optimistic trucking environment. The surge reflects sharply higher freight rates, volumes and utilization, which together have created what FTR calls "robust...
Oil Prices Hit Highest Since 2022 at More Than $119 a Barrel on Iran War. Price keeps rising. Logistics and supply chain risk keeps rising. https://t.co/OKkcOWm7OV
The General Contract for the Use of Wagons (CGU) was revised at the start of 2026 to streamline procedures and clarify responsibility during wagon custody. Railway Undertakings (RUs) can now directly commission repairs without awaiting approval from distant keepers, accelerating...
The Bank Trump Is Relying On for Rare-Earth Minerals Impact so far on dependence on China? Zero.... https://t.co/Ux4lLRcEqv via @NYTimes
Chinese WSJ: Severe energy crisis with limited shipping thru the Strait of Hormuz. What kind of crisis will it bring to global logistics and supply chains? Fuel for transporting goods for manufacturing and retail. Businesses and consumers.
The Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) 2026 conference in Singapore placed shipowners at the forefront of the industry’s digital and decarbonisation push. Senior executives debated how to balance immediate cost pressures with long‑term zero‑emission targets, evaluating LNG’s role and emerging AI‑driven autonomy....
DFI will showcase its new edge AI platforms, co‑developed with Intel, at Embedded World 2026. The portfolio includes the PTH9HM COM‑HPC Mini module for defense and unmanned systems, offering real‑time 8K vision and AI inference, and the PTH171/173 Mini‑ITX motherboards...
Tug Network Team (TNT), an alliance of independent towage operators launched in the Americas, has expanded into Europe by adding Hamburg‑based Fairplay Towage. The partnership brings the alliance’s footprint to 113 ports across 13 countries and a combined fleet of...
International Maritime Organization Secretary‑General Arsenio Domínguez condemned a series of attacks on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, noting at least seven seafarer deaths and multiple injuries. He highlighted the missile strike on the tug Mussafah 2, which killed four...
UPS is restructuring its network to reduce reliance on Amazon, shedding roughly $5 billion in revenue and 2 million daily packages. The carrier will pivot toward higher‑margin verticals such as business‑to‑business, industrial, healthcare and small‑business shipments. Through its Digital Access Program, UPS...
"Tariffs may have affected manufacturing employment, which declined by 119,000 in 2025. Likewise, the trade sensitive transportation and warehousing sector declined by 123,800." https://t.co/ed9bs6nNSn
The Morocco‑West Africa air cargo corridor relies heavily on passenger belly space, with dedicated freighter lift remaining inconsistent and often shrinking. Royal Air Maroc’s new Casablanca‑Dakar freighter marks a strategic move, yet overall capacity stays fragmented, especially on secondary routes...
Virtual programmable logic controllers (PLCs) run control logic in containerized software on standard servers, offering automatic failover and reduced downtime. By moving PLC functions to a software‑defined environment, manufacturers can develop, test, and validate code virtually before commissioning, cutting time...
Polyester fibre prices in India jumped by Rs.12 (US $0.13) per kilogram after the Strait of Hormuz closure forced vessels to reroute around Africa. The diversion adds roughly 20‑25 days to transit times, inflating freight costs and straining supply chains. SIMA...
Here is your example of escorts in operations. But this is @EUNAVFORASPIDES in the Red Sea. Note the limited number of ships and the fact that they are owned or operated by an Italian form with an Italian frigate. There are 5 US...
At LogiMAT 2026 in Stuttgart, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS unveiled its latest decentralised drive portfolio, highlighted by the NORDAC LINK frequency inverter with built‑in Ethernet connectivity and advanced safety functions. The new inverter supports encoder‑less control of high‑efficiency IE5+ synchronous motors and mirrors...
ARC Advisory Group’s new white paper and webinar detail how artificial intelligence is evolving into the foundational operating layer of modern supply chains. The research outlines four structural shifts—AI‑augmented ERP/WMS/TMS, agent‑to‑agent coordination, context‑aware decision frameworks, and graph‑based network intelligence—that enable...
This is significant to shipping as Fujairiah is not just a loading port but a MAJOR bunkering port for ships. Without it, this will force refueling around the world where stocks are limited and more expensive.
