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:
RAND’s Project AIR FORCE released a 16‑page publication outlining eight analytic tools for logistics analysis. The tools cover requirements determination, storage and pre‑positioning, transportation, and operational impact assessment. Developed over a 75‑year collaboration, they inform U.S. Air Force investment and trade‑space decisions. The report is available web‑only via RAND’s corporate publication series.
Aerospace executives report that supply‑chain performance has improved relative to the pandemic‑era lows, with fewer missed deadlines from OEMs like Airbus and Boeing. However, Kevin Michaels of Aerodynamic Advisory warns that new headwinds—regulatory bottlenecks, rare‑earth concentration, and persistent engine and...
Amazon announced a new option that gives customers a 7% rebate when they select a slower delivery window, signaling a pivot from its traditional fast‑shipping promise. The move comes as UPS and FedEx have raised basic shipping rates by roughly...
Cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach dropped 11.6% year‑over‑year in January, handling a combined 1.66 million TEUs – the second‑largest January haul since the pandemic. Imports fell 13% at both ports while export...
The January 2026 capture of President Nicolás Maduro triggered immediate Venezuelan airspace closures, forcing cargo operators to reroute around the Caribbean and add 15‑20% to fuel costs. U.S. and European carriers have not served the market since 2019, leaving only...
Zentek has launched an 8‑to‑12‑week pilot evaluation with U.S. HVAC manufacturer Quality Filters Inc. to test the integration of Zentek’s proprietary air‑filtration media into Quality’s commercial product lines. The program will examine product compatibility, manufacturing scalability, and real‑world performance, while...
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expanding AI‑driven analytics, shifting freight forwarders from traditional paperwork compliance to managing data integrity across multiple trade datasets. The AI system acts as an anomaly detector, flagging shipments that deviate from expected patterns and...
Sciotex has launched a benchtop automated inspection platform that bundles imaging hardware, lighting, compute, and AI‑driven software into a single, workstation‑sized unit. The system targets small and mid‑size manufacturers by eliminating the high cost and complex integration typical of traditional...
Rare earth shortages, especially yttrium and scandium, are tightening for U.S. aerospace and semiconductor manufacturers as Chinese export controls drive prices up to 69 times higher. China still dominates the global rare‑earth value chain, controlling roughly 70% of mining, over...
Germany announced a new initiative to secure critical minerals, mirroring Japan’s long‑standing strategy of supply‑chain resilience. The plan includes a €3 billion fund for domestic mining, recycling and strategic stockpiles, aiming for at least 10% of key raw materials sourced locally...
Spencer Penn’s three‑year stint at Tesla exposed a manual, fragmented direct‑materials sourcing process that hampered development speed and profit margins. Recognizing a critical automation gap between the product‑lifecycle‑management system and ERP, he co‑founded LightSource in 2021. The startup delivers an...
Menzies Aviation has launched the MILE (Menzies Integrated Logistics for e‑commerce) initiative to capture the booming air‑cargo demand from online retail. The program blends the carrier’s global ground‑handling expertise with parcel‑level processing, ULD break‑bulk and first‑to‑last‑mile integration, while the MACH...
Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services has built a temperature‑controlled supply chain that begins at the flower farm and extends through refrigerated trucks, a purpose‑built airport warehouse, and rapid ramp transfers. The carrier leverages IoT‑enabled sensors, blast chillers, and AI‑driven capacity...
Commonwealth Bank of Australia reports that 87.6% of firms that upgraded vehicles, machinery or technology saw productivity gains of more than 10%, with larger companies achieving 20‑50% improvements. Asset‑finance volumes rose 20% year‑on‑year in December 2025, led by manufacturing equipment...
Kristof De Smedt, a veteran with over 25 years in pharma logistics, was promoted on October 1 2025 to Global Market Segment Director for Airlines and Logistic Providers at Cold Chain Technologies (CCT) following its acquisitions of Tower Cold Chain and Global...
After three years of a freight recession, the trucking industry saw a tentative recovery in early 2026 as spot rates rose and excess capacity fell, prompting optimism among carriers. However, a sharp surge in crude oil to over $100 per...
American companies continue to wrestle with critical mineral shortages even after China temporarily lifted its export ban on gallium, germanium and antimony. China still controls the bulk of heavy rare earths and other essential raw materials, creating bottlenecks for U.S....
If you want to understand global oil trade think of this as the world's circulatory system. Pinching the Strait of Hormuz is like closing a major artery. It will cause damage the longer it is closed and if not careful, you either...
Australian sheepmeat exports to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) represent about $4.3 billion, or 23 % of total export value. Tasmania is the most exposed state, sending roughly 70 % of its sheepmeat to the region, while Victoria and Western Australia...
ACCIONA and Australian surf‑fin maker Bolero Surf have launched the world’s first commercially available surfboard fins made from recycled wind‑turbine blades. The fins, unveiled at the 2026 Aussie Boardriders Battle, are produced locally under the Turbine Made initiative, which converts...
Compared to the last maximum disruption during the 1956-1957 Suez Crisis (as a percentage of total liquids demand), this represents the largest oil supply loss in history, by a factor of two. Worse, unlike in past crises, there's zero spare capacity...
One Greek Gunslinger does not make a global petrochemical supply chain... 94% of traffic is shut
ACCO Brands reported full‑year net sales of $600 million, a 4.4% increase, driven by a 7% rise in U.S. revenue that now represents two‑thirds of the business. Q4 sales matched guidance at $164 million, but gross margin slipped in the quarter as...
Singapore Bunker Fuel Prices 🚀 (From @ShipandBunker) Container ships on the main services to/from North America burn about 150-200 tonnes per day. Exports are going to be hit a lot harder than imports as fuel makes up a larger portion of their...
Shutting the transit route that carries one-fifth of world supply has a way of doing that.
Airlines are grappling with record passenger demand while aircraft deliveries stall because of a severe engine production bottleneck, especially Pratt & Whitney’s GTF units. Boeing briefly reclaimed the lead in 2026, delivering 46 737 MAX jets in January, surpassing Airbus’s 19 A320neo...
If past oil surges are a guide, we could see small trucking operators park their rigs, waiting for fuel prices to stabilize.
The longer the Straits are closed, the more we will see unexpected chokepoints emerge. Case in point: nickel refiners in Indonesia and copper miners in Africa might have to slow production for want of sulphur
Australian manufacturers are facing heightened margin pressure as wholesale electricity prices swing dramatically within hours. GridBeyond’s FlexPilot framework proposes turning energy from a volatile cost into a controllable variable by integrating seven‑day price forecasts, machine‑learning optimisation, and digital‑twin simulations into...
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During the March 8 Defense & Aerospace Report podcast, analysts examined a surge in geopolitical tension and market volatility shaping defense spending. The Trump administration is expected to request $50 billion in supplemental funding as the US‑Israel conflict with Iran intensifies, while...
Sustainable procurement embeds environmental, social, and economic criteria into buying decisions, moving beyond traditional cost‑only models. Companies adopt it to address climate change, resource scarcity, and rising stakeholder expectations. The approach delivers risk mitigation, long‑term cost efficiencies, and compliance with...
Ellerman City Liners has revived its IPEX2 service, re‑establishing a dedicated shuttle route between Hull, United Kingdom and Gdynia, Poland. The relaunched line will operate with a single 325‑TEU vessel, delivering a direct North Sea‑Baltic connection after a period of...
U.S. officials defended a 30‑day waiver allowing Indian refineries to purchase Russian oil, aiming to ease market pressure as gasoline prices surged amid the Iran conflict. The waiver, announced by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and UN Ambassador Mike Waltz, seeks...
Everybody is watching the Strait of Hormuz, but they should also be watching Singapore. The image on the right are all the laden tankers sitting in an around Simgapore. The one in the left, with less ships, are loaded Very...
How does a major energy exporter cope when its main oil and gas export routes are cut, storage tanks fill up, associated gas stops, & refineries scramble to adjust? How the Gulf countries must juggle their energy logistics to sustain their...
Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force are speeding up production of the B‑21 Raider stealth bomber as testing progresses. The company has poured more than $5 billion into digital engineering and manufacturing infrastructure to support the ramp‑up. Final assembly continues...
A good thread. One thing I would add -- we saw cranes and other heavy equipment at the tunnel entrances in late October 2025. I think its safe to assume Iran has had access to the material for months.
Asia supply of oil, gas & fertiliser is rather concentrated. We are seeing a massive supply shock to the most important input of modern life: food and transport.
Any bets that the @MarineNationale will do what they did in @EUNAVFORASPIDES and escort French vessels through the contested waters for their shipping lines.
This week, is when we will see some action in the Strait. Good or bad, we should see some movement.
The only supply chain certainty has been and will be is uncertainty. Are you prepared? https://t.co/8IU0Hklve5
The impact of the Iran war is spreading. 1,000+ containers at Chittagong. War risk insurance pulled for the Gulf.
For the record, I’m not thrilled about this whole Iran thing. I was in the camp of bulldozing @CENTCOM to fund moving @Southcom back to the Panama Canal. But if we must be there a few weeks longer… maybe… just...
Everyone has always wondered what the PLAN (Chinese Navy) was configured for. We may see this come to fruition if they send a squadron to the Persian Gulf to escort their ships. The PLAN is perfectly sized and...
If you thought oil and energy was the only thing impacted by the Gulf War, hang on to your containers.
Everyone’s shocked the Royal Navy can’t get a warship to the Mediterranean, let alone the Persian Gulf. But remember, King Charles also commands Canada’s Royal Navy. Surely he can dispatch her broken subs and battle kayaks for backup. https://t.co/Yo6gQLLxR6
Technically, yes @SecretaryWright. But if the oil and natural gas can't get from the suppliers to the consumers it doesn't really matter to those who rely on imports from the Persian Gulf
American support for international trade is at an all-time high (and, no, not just among Democrats) https://t.co/QayxCkWNFn
For those who want an overview without watching my full hour+ long video on the Strait of Hormuz Crisis https://t.co/QDALtGFKiC
"U.S. DFC unveils $20BN plan for maritime reinsurance in the Gulf" The CEO of the DFC looks like someone who would sell you $20B worth of insurance. https://t.co/QRhFuzBtx0 https://t.co/0v78TH7CKl
