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:
Marsun has joined the Thai Shipbuilding and Repairing Association and eight domestic shipyards in signing a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate large‑scale naval construction projects. The partnership pools expertise in shipbuilding, systems integration and engineering to prepare for the Royal Thai Navy’s future frigate program. By consolidating private‑sector resources, the consortium aims to create a self‑sufficient supply chain capable of delivering complex vessels within Thailand. The initiative also emphasizes knowledge transfer and workforce development to raise domestic defense manufacturing standards.
When nine justices can redirect global supply chains overnight, it’s fair to ask whether the Court’s structure still fits the modern economy. #SupplyChain #GlobalTrade https://t.co/N2tgQ7sgEX https://t.co/kCnjdrx0CX
Wabash unveiled a cargo‑assurance platform at Manifest 2026 that turns the trailer into a secure, connected system, leveraging its 2025 TrailerHawk.AI acquisition. The solution combines a physical lock, a mobile app digital seal, and multi‑factor driver, tractor, carrier and insurance...
Great Eastern Shipping announced the purchase of a 2014‑built Japanese kamsarmax of 81,094 dwt, slated to join its fleet in the first quarter of FY27. The acquisition is part of a broader renewal program that swaps older vessels for younger...
The White House has publicly urged Pentagon contractors to "rapidly and aggressively" increase weapons production to support Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. campaign aimed at countering Iran. President Donald Trump personally pressed defense firms to accelerate output, despite Pentagon officials asserting that...
iRobot, the pioneer of consumer robotics, saw its revenue peak at $1.56 billion in 2021 before facing intense price competition from low‑cost Chinese rivals. In August 2022 Amazon announced a $1.7 billion cash offer to acquire iRobot, aiming to integrate Roomba’s home‑mapping...
Estonian shipowner Amisco has placed an order for two 5,900‑dwt multipurpose dry cargo vessels from Jiangsu Dajin Heavy Industry in China. Steel cutting for the first hull began in February 2026, with deliveries slated for the first and second quarters...
U.S. LPG exports are hitting record levels while a 76‑km Panama pipeline, slated for post‑2031 operation, promises 2 million barrels per day capacity. Dorian LPG’s chief information officer says the pipeline will likely add loading and discharge points rather than divert cargoes,...
Rising Middle East tensions have forced major carriers such as Maersk, Hapag‑Lloyd, CMA CGM and MSC to divert vessels away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal, adding one to two weeks to Asia‑Europe apparel shipments. The disruption hits Bangladesh,...
Direct Rail Services (DRS) announced the return of its annual charity open day at the Gresty Bridge depot in Crewe on 11 July. The event, a flagship public showcase for the UK’s leading rail freight operator, will allow visitors to...
The U.S. Postal Service is hiring restructuring advisers to help address its increasing financial troubles, Postmaster General David Steiner told Reuters in an interview. https://t.co/5x45UAESKf
Alstom and Mälardalen University have renewed a long‑standing strategic partnership to deepen collaborative research and education. The alliance targets emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and circular design, linking university curricula with real‑world railway technology. It provides students early...
Spend Matters has named Boston‑based Tamarin AI to its Future 5 list for 2025‑2026, highlighting the startup’s AI‑native category‑management copilot. Tamarin unifies structured and unstructured spend data, delivering line‑item level cleaning, categorization, and real‑time contract‑spend reconciliation. The platform promises to cut...
Korean equity markets surged on March 5, with the KOSPI up 9.63% and the KOSDAQ climbing 14.10%, driven by heavy institutional buying in AI‑focused semiconductor equipment firms. Mid‑cap players such as Hanmi Semiconductor (+21.6%) and Wonik IPS (+13.1%) led the rally,...
Kowloon Walled City, a one‑hectare slum that housed over 50,000 residents, existed from 1946 to 1993 without any formal government, taxes, or building codes. Despite its chaotic architecture, the community self‑organized under informal triad rules, resulting in surprisingly low ordinary...
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machinery Systems will conduct a live demonstration of an infrastructure‑based ramp‑merging support system for autonomous vehicles on Tokyo’s Metropolitan Expressway. The trial, scheduled for September to November 2026 near the Yoyogi inbound entrance, will test how roadside...
Captrain and CargoBeamer are expanding rail freight services across Europe. CargoBeamer will increase its Calais‑Perpignan intermodal route to five weekly roundtrips, offering daily departures and a 26‑hour transit time for all semi‑trailers. In Germany, Captrain, together with LIT Speditions, has...
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company announced two new war‑related surcharges to offset escalating security risks in the Middle East. An Emergency War Surcharge of $500 per TEU for dry cargo and $1,000 per TEU for reefers will apply to shipments from...
PAL Robotics used Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2026 to showcase its next‑generation mobile manipulator, TIAGo Pro. The robot’s open‑source software stack and real‑time teleoperation demo highlighted its adaptability for research and industry deployments. CEO Francesco Ferro led a round‑table on human‑robot...
HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding arm, HD KSOE, has selected Siemens’ Xcelerator platform to create an integrated digital shipbuilding environment. The platform will provide a unified data backbone linking CAD, PLM, digital manufacturing, automation and simulation, eliminating data discontinuities from design through...
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is turning smart factories from concept to reality, linking sensors, edge devices, AI analytics and cloud platforms across production lines. Real‑time data enables predictive maintenance, automated workflows and energy optimization, driving higher productivity while trimming...
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have signed an EPC contract with China Railway Construction Engineering Group to build a modern multi‑purpose logistics centre (MPLC) in Tashkent. The 159.4‑hectare complex will include rail infrastructure and a container terminal, with the first phase valued...
The United States is fighting an economic war while its intelligence and business sectors operate in silos. Adversaries exploit supply‑chain, capital‑flow, and technology dependencies, yet private‑sector leaders lack access to classified intelligence that could reshape risk assessments. The author argues...
BIMCO analysis shows bulk‑carrier transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell about 70% week‑over‑week, affecting roughly 4% of global dry‑bulk volumes. Arrow Shipbroking data indicate 1.9% of Capesize, 5.6% of Panamax and 5.7% of Supramax/Handymax demand passed the strait in...
A South Korean ruling‑party lawmaker warned that the escalating US‑Israel war with Iran could jeopardize the supply of essential semiconductor materials, particularly helium, which is critical for heat management in chip fabrication. The Korean chip sector, responsible for roughly two‑thirds...
Moroccan rail freight volumes rose 8% year‑on‑year in 2025, reaching 23 million tonnes and generating roughly €181 million in revenue. The surge is driven largely by phosphate transportation, as the country’s exports of the mineral jumped 21% in the first seven months,...
CNC has launched BY8, a new feeder service that directly connects Singapore, Port Klang, Belawan, and Yangon, streamlining Southeast Asian trade routes. The rotation eliminates unnecessary transshipments, delivering faster transit times and greater predictability for shippers. Additional sailings between Singapore...
Rio Tinto and battery giant CATL have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate electrification across mining operations. The partnership will develop strategies for battery‑powered equipment, supply‑chain integration, and circular‑economy initiatives such as battery material recycling. CATL will contribute its...
The Australian Government and industry groups launched the Trade Diversification Network (TDN) on 4 March as part of the $50 million Accessing New Markets Initiative. The network brings together 40 national peak bodies to provide coordinated market‑intelligence, trade services and sector‑specific support...
Nvidia is redirecting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) production capacity away from chips destined for the Chinese market after U.S. export controls limited its sales. The chipmaker is prioritising higher‑margin data‑center and automotive GPUs for customers outside China, while TSMC...
Railroads gathered on Capitol Hill to push a modernized 45G tax credit, which reimburses 40% of rail infrastructure spending up to $3,500 per mile. The industry cites more than $8 billion in investments and a 50% reduction in derailments since the...
Standards Australia amended AS/NZS 60335.2.7 to mandate a dual‑action start mechanism for washing machines sold in Australia and New Zealand from July 2026. The change, driven by child‑safety incidents such as the 2021 Christchurch tragedy, requires two distinct user inputs before a cycle...
Port investors are re‑evaluating asset values as global trade patterns shift, despite growing signs of de‑globalisation. The sector’s relative valuation is being reassessed against alternative infrastructure classes, revealing new upside potential. Analysts note that bottlenecks, supply‑chain diversification, and emerging trade...
Manufacturing Skills Queensland (MSQ) has launched a new campaign to draw more women into the state’s $28.9 billion manufacturing sector, which faces acute skills shortages. The initiative centers on the Manufacturing Industry Influencer Program, featuring female professionals from boilermaking to rocket...
The Australian Defence Department has launched domestic production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) at a new facility in Port Wakefield, South Australia. The first batch of missiles is slated for completion by mid‑March 2026, marking the first GMLRS...
The crazy thing is… these are the GOOD takes his media team ran with. https://t.co/U8elANjDAP
The Australian Aluminium Council released an L.E.K. Consulting report urging policy reform to unlock large‑scale clean aluminium recycling. While recycling consumes only about five percent of the energy required for primary production, high energy costs, tight scrap margins and fragmented...
The United States convened a critical‑minerals summit to curb China’s overwhelming role in battery and electric‑vehicle supply chains, but China still controls over 80 percent of global lithium‑ion battery production and 90 percent of grid‑scale storage. Washington has taken minority stakes in...
A lot of X folks that no knowing about the freight cycle simply look at PE ratios in trucking and assume that trucking stocks are way overvalued, but have zero clue how the freight cycle works. When the freight market...
And, leading up to his confirmation, everyone and their mother told me @USWPColby would pull every asset we have away from Iran.
Luisa Moisio, Director of Research at the UK Rail Safety and Standards Board, delivered the 13th Stephen Marich Annual Lecture at Monash University, outlining two decades of British rail research collaboration. She emphasized the UK Rail Technical Strategy and the...
This is a predictable trend and highlights the importance of companies moving supply chains back to the Americas. Middle East today, Asia tomorrow.
I am very confused why they keep downplaying the momentum. They did the same thing in 2020 during the early days of the COVID recovery and were slow to recognize the freight recession in 2022.
Fastmarkets announced it will convert its Mexico non‑ferrous scrap price assessments from peso per pound to peso per kilogram. The change aligns the pricing units with the kilogram‑based invoicing and contract norms used by most suppliers, processors and buyers in...
Union Pacific claims that’s its merger with NS would take 2m truckloads off the road each year. That is approx 6k trucks in total, roughly equivalent to Prime’s fleet. Pretty inconsequential in the big scheme of things.
SONAR has been signaling a manufacturing renaissance since November. Despite a lot of pushback I’ve received over past couple of months, it’s all in the high frequency freight data. Industrial demand is popping.
The Port of the Future Conference, launched in 2019 by Dr. Tony Ambler and now directed by Kevin Clement, brings together maritime operators, academia, and policymakers to explore next‑generation port technologies. Its agenda spotlights AI, automation, digitalization, and decarbonization, offering...
Not a prediction. I just monitor SONAR’s signals. It’s all in the high frequency freight data
"Tariff refund delays could cost U.S. taxpayers $700 million a month in interest, report finds" https://t.co/MHgXnrl4vk
Yes. If you own tanker stocks it is. Not so much for the rest of the economy.
