Today's Supply Chain Pulse
Strait of Hormuz closure stalls oil price surge despite 100‑day shutdown
The strategic waterway has been shut for 100 days, yet oil prices have not spiked. Prices fell after a U.S.–Iran deal was announced, and analysts warn that any relief to the oil market could take months to materialize.
Also developing:
By the numbers: GIA acquires 30% stake in De Beers' Tracr blockchain platform
Domestic Manufacturer Secures Major Egyptian Coach Order
Egyptian National Railways and National Egyptian Railway Industries Company (Neric) signed two agreements on April 27, including a $700 million contract for 500 air‑conditioned coaches. A second pact creates a specialised private workshop for fleet maintenance and overhaul at Kom Abu Radi. The deals align with Egypt’s push to localise rolling‑stock production and expand domestic manufacturing capabilities. Neric’s existing pipeline already includes metro train orders worth $956 million, underscoring its growing role in the national rail sector.
Taiwan Carriers Call for Government Help to Free Trapped Box Ships
Taiwan’s three largest container lines—Evergreen, Yang Ming and Wan Hai—have asked the government to negotiate with Iran to free seven vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz since the US‑Israel‑Iran war began on 28 February. Around 40 container ships are immobilised...
San Diego Gasoline Prices Top $6 as Iran Conflict Fuels Oil Surge
San Diego County’s self‑serve regular gasoline hit $6.04 per gallon, the highest since October 2023, as Brent crude climbs above $116 a barrel amid the Iran‑Hormuz standoff. Analysts warn the spike will linger while geopolitical tensions persist.
ANA-NCA Now Selling One Network as Integration Advances
All Nippon Airways (ANA) completed its 100 % acquisition of Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) in August 2025 and is now selling a single, integrated cargo network in North America. Sales, pricing and freight sales teams have been merged, allowing customers to...
2022: Russian Missiles Strike Odesa Airport
In late April 2022 Russian missiles struck Odesa International Airport, cratered its runway and rendered the facility inoperable for the foreseeable future. The attack was framed by Moscow as a precision strike on a weapons depot, while Kyiv called it...
Tariff Refunds Are Coming. Explaining Them to Consumers May Be Difficult.
A Supreme Court ruling struck down IEEPA tariffs, opening the door for up to 330,000 importers to claim a share of roughly $166 billion in refunds. The new refund portal currently processes about 63% of eligible entries, with payouts taking 60‑90...
An Old Railroad Is Key to U.S.-China Race for Critical Metals in Africa
The United States, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a 2023 memorandum to revive the Benguela (Lobito) Railway, aiming to ship Congolese copper and cobalt to global markets via the Angolan port of Lobito. China had rebuilt the...
The Predictability Premium: Navigating Financial Risk with Dedicated Capacity Models
CFOs are treating transportation as a financial risk, shifting from spot‑market buying to dedicated fleet contracts that convert variable freight costs into predictable, fixed expenses. Engineered dedicated fleets provide a hedge against market spikes, internal demand surges, and the growing...
How Procurement Automation Creates Audit-Ready Supply Chains in Manufacturing
A tier‑two automotive parts supplier found it could not trace approval history for 40% of its procurement transactions, putting its preferred‑supplier rating at risk. The audit exposed a common manufacturing gap: production lines are fully automated while procurement still relies...
OS Hub Partners Link Data on Millions of Factories
The Open Supply Hub has launched the OS Hub Spotlight, a new tool that aggregates environmental and social data from ten leading providers for millions of textile and garment factories worldwide. By unifying metrics from organizations such as Amfori, Climate...
US Steel to Add DRI Facility at Big River Steel Works
U.S. Steel announced a $1.9 billion investment to build a direct reduced iron (DRI) facility at its Big River Steel Works in Osceola, Arkansas. The plant will link the company’s Minnesota ore operations with the electric arc furnace (EAF) complex, eliminating...
Contship Italia Posts Overall Growth in 2025
Contship Italia posted a 3.5% rise in TEU handling to roughly 1.71 million units in 2025, while net profit surged 16.7% and revenue reached €293 million (about $320 million). Growth was led by the Salerno and Ravenna terminals, which posted 16.2% and 12.7%...
Gaza’s Medical Evacuation Crisis Is Leaving Thousands Without Care
The health system in Gaza remains crippled after two years of conflict, leaving thousands of patients without essential care. The UN Health Cluster reports over 18,500 critical patients—4,000 of them children—still awaiting medical evacuation. From October 2023 to September 2025, only 7,802...
Taager Moves Into China to Fix Sourcing Bottlenecks for MENA Sellers
Taager, the Cairo‑based social e‑commerce platform, has opened its first supply office in China, shifting from a pure software layer to a vertically integrated supply‑chain model. The new hub lets the company directly inspect goods, negotiate with factories, and accelerate...
Tight Deadline Looms over Italo’s Plan to Enter German High Speed Rail Market
Italian private rail operator NTV (Italo) must secure a German operating licence and finalize a €1.2bn (≈$1.3bn) train purchase by the end of May to keep its $3.9bn high‑speed entry plan on track for a 2028 launch. The company has...
Fuel Disruptions in Asia Test Supply Chains, but Canada Unlikely to See COVID-Style Shortages
Fuel shortages and higher diesel costs in Asia are rippling through global supply chains, adding ten‑plus days to transit times and pushing up prices. Canadian retailers, having adopted larger safety‑stock buffers after COVID‑19, now hold roughly eight to twelve weeks...
Stitching Speed & Scale: How FIGS Built an Agile Supply Chain with DHL
In this episode of All Business No Boundaries, FIGS COO Jonathan Tam and DHL VP of Operations Paige Van Fossen discuss how FIGS partnered with DHL to build an agile, high‑velocity supply chain that can handle rapid growth and extreme...
The New Rules of Global Sourcing: How Automation and Geopolitics Are Reshaping Fashion Supply Chains
The fashion industry is confronting an aging factory workforce by accelerating automation, with large‑scale sewing robots now handling 60‑70% of outerwear and denim production in China and spreading to Bangladesh and Madagascar. Simultaneously, U.S. tariffs are reshaping sourcing strategies, prompting...
Korean Beauty Firm Choses Indurent Park Derby for National Distribution Hub
PURESEOUL, a fast‑growing Korean beauty retailer founded in 2019, has signed a 10‑year lease for a 61,000 sq ft unit at Indurent Park Derby in England’s East Midlands. The space will serve as the brand’s UK national distribution hub, underpinning its plan...
Iran Tensions Push Oil Above $110, Market Volatility Spikes
🇮🇷 Iran Intel Brief | Pre-London ─────── U.S. oil prices surged above $110 per barrel amid potential military action against Iran. Iran maintains hardline stance on Strait of Hormuz control, increasing risk of extended blockade and oil supply disruptions. US Navy intercepted the 42nd...
Forehead Cameras Enable Scalable Training of Smarter Robot Hands
Indian Factory Uses Forehead Cameras to Train Smarter #Robot Hands at Scale by @sutoroveli_news #Innovation #EmergingTech #Technology https://t.co/Sz6hovAn3k
ABS and PIL Ink MoU on Verifying Emissions Reductions
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Pacific International Lines (PIL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to provide independent verification of PIL's fuel use, transport activity, and emissions data. The partnership will enable PIL to participate in Book‑and‑Claim carbon registries,...
Flexible Supply Chains May Soften UK Price Impact
Economic effects of the US/Israeli conflict with Iran are emerging for UK consumers and businesses. However, flexible supply chains may cushion price https://t.co/MNmgP7YtEG
China Eases Fuel Export Ban for Select Asian Buyers
Important development: China has given state-owned refiners the green light to export some gasoline, diesel and jet-fuel to a handful of regular customers (in Asia), signaling the country is effectively easing an earlier ban on shipments.
Eternal.ag Launches Omni-Directional Trolley as ‘Stepping Stone to Fully-Automated Greenhouses’
German agritech startup Eternal.ag unveiled an omni‑directional trolley designed as a stepping stone toward fully automated greenhouses. The trolley can navigate rows without dismounting and can be upgraded into the company’s Harvester robot, with the full purchase price credited toward...
America’s Big New Aluminum Smelter Is Still Waiting on a Power Deal
The United Arab Emirates‑based Emirates Global Aluminium and Century Aluminum are moving ahead with a $4 billion, 750,000‑metric‑ton annual aluminum smelter in Oklahoma, the first new U.S. primary smelter since 1980. The plant would more than double domestic capacity but hinges...
Shipping Stagnation Deepens Energy Crisis Chaos
I'd feel much more comfortable "looking through" this energy crisis if shipping was flowing again through the Strait - even if we would still face months of choas - but even the FLOW hasn't resumed. This is becoming an intractable...
Rethinking Corporate Risk and Alignment in an Era of Economic Statecraft
The blog argues that economic statecraft has turned global supply chains into a battlefield, forcing U.S. firms to treat geopolitical risk as a core fiduciary concern. It cites China’s 2010 rare‑earth embargo and Huawei’s state‑backed subsidies as early warnings that...
Roll Up The Space To … Lose!
Over the past decade private‑equity firms such as Vista, KKR and Thoma Bravo pursued a roll‑up strategy, acquiring dozens of procurement‑software assets to create mega‑suite platforms. These bundles command seven‑figure annual licenses, banking on market dominance within corporate source‑to‑pay functions. However,...
First Tesla Semi Rolls Off High-Volume Production Line
Tesla has rolled the first Semi off its new high‑volume line at Gigafactory Nevada, ending a protracted development cycle that began in 2017. The truck is offered in a Standard Range (325 miles) and a Long‑Range (500 miles) version, priced...
Changan Nevo Raises EV Price as Chip Costs Surge
Chinese automaker Changan Nevo announced a 3,000‑yuan (≈$440) price increase for the LiDAR‑equipped versions of its Q07 SUV, effective May 7. The hike reflects a sharp rise in automotive‑grade chip costs, notably for Horizon Robotics' J6M processor that powers the vehicle’s...
Sweden Confiscates Bulk Carrier Accused of Carrying Stolen Ukrainian Grain
Swedish authorities confiscated the 96‑meter bulk carrier Caffa after a foreign state requested legal assistance. The vessel was intercepted near Trelleborg on March 6, sailing under a false Guinean flag and suspected of transporting grain stolen from Ukrainian fields. One crew...
Geneva Dry’s Digital Workshop Cuts Through the Hype to Find What Actually Works
The Digital Dry Hard Talk workshop at Geneva Dry cut through AI hype to focus on real results for shipping technology buyers. Panelists highlighted market fragmentation, stressing that interoperability and connectivity are the biggest gaps rather than more vendors. They...
Sovereign Survivability and Shared Resilience: Placing Logistics at the Centre of New Strategy
During a 2026 visit to Canberra, Dr. David Beaumont argued that logistics and sustainment have moved from peripheral concerns to the core of military strategy. Repeated shocks—from pandemics to the war in Ukraine—have exposed fragile fuel, munitions and supply‑chain dependencies,...
Suez Canal to Benefit From Hormuz Chaos
CMA CGM has introduced the Ocean Rise Express (OCR) service, averaging 9,334 TEU, with its inaugural 8,488‑TEU vessel departing Shanghai in early February and now transiting the Suez Canal. Soaring bunker fuel costs and soft freight rates are prompting carriers...
Rocsys M1 Debuts as Multi-Bay Hands-Free Charging Solution for Robotaxi Fleets
Rocsys unveiled the M1, a hands‑free charging system that can service up to ten robotaxi bays from a single unit. The solution, currently in pilot testing, promises a 99.9% plug‑in success rate and up to 75% higher depot efficiency, translating...
The Ocean Freight Market Is Shifting Again in 2026.. Are You Adapting or Reacting..??
The ocean freight market is experiencing rapid capacity tightening and rate volatility that outpace traditional contracts, forcing shippers to constantly reassess routing and pricing strategies. Dimerco Express Group has launched its 2026 State of Air and Ocean Freight Global Market...
Samsung Sees No Respite as Memory Shortage Set to Worsen
Samsung Electronics reported a record quarterly profit in its memory division, with operating profit soaring to $36.2 billion – a 49‑fold increase year‑over‑year. The company warned that AI‑driven demand will widen the memory supply gap through 2027, even as it signs...
How to Win a Trade War: Book Launch and Discussion with Bown and Keynes
The Peterson Institute for International Economics is hosting an online launch for the new book *How to Win a Trade War* by trade experts Chad P. Bown and Soumaya Keynes. The event will feature a discussion with WSJ chief economics commentator Greg Ip, exploring...
Renewable Energy Goals Tied to Manufacturing Capability and Supply Chain Reform in Australia
New research from Adelaide and Flinders Universities warns that Australia’s renewable energy targets could be jeopardized by weak domestic manufacturing and fragile supply chains. The study, published in the Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, cites dependence on imported components, grid...
China's Top Solar Maker Aims to Match Battery Scale
China’s biggest maker of solar equipment wants to grow its batteries business to a similar size https://t.co/GrUSgFU3Ap
DEEP Robotics Showcases Deployment-Ready Quadruped Robots at Hannover Messe
At Hannover Messe 2026, DEEP Robotics unveiled three quadruped robots—LYNX M20, X30 and Lite3—available for immediate shipment and EU‑compliant. LYNX M20 is a hybrid wheeled/legged system with thermal, gas and acoustic sensors; X30 adds LiDAR, 360° cameras and feeds data...
Euroseas in Fresh China Newbuild Move
Euroseas, the Nasdaq‑listed Greek boxship owner, is reportedly negotiating a purchase of two 1,800 TEU Bangkokmax vessels from China’s Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering, with delivery targeted for 2028. The ships are priced around $32 million each, matching recent market rates...
Willand Reaches One Million Units, Expands Production in China and Malaysia
Willand, the operator of the Segway Navimow brand, celebrated the rollout of its one‑millionth robotic lawn mower at its Changzhou R&D and manufacturing base. The achievement arrives as global robotic mower sales jumped 327% in the first half of 2025 and...
Taiwan Accuses China of Vegetable Laundering via Vietnam
Taiwan has accused Chinese exporters of circumventing its ban on over 1,000 agricultural and fishery products by routing vegetables such as Napa cabbage and shiitake mushrooms through Vietnam. The practice, described by Taipei officials as “origin washing,” seeks to disguise...
Australia and Finland Explore Manufacturing Links in Quantum Technologies Collaboration
Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre and Australia’s CSIRO are exploring a joint effort to link research, development and manufacturing of quantum‑technology components under Finland’s “Quantum Leap” initiative. The partnership was discussed at the Quantum Australia Conference in Adelaide, where VTT...
India Shifts to Venezuelan Crude, Reducing Iraqi Imports
🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 12 million barrels of Venezuelan crude are sailing to India on 6 supertankers. This should replace a good chunk of the Iraqi oil India used to import Map form @Kpler
High-Precision 3D Measurement in a New Ultra-Compact Form
Micro‑Epsilon unveiled the scanCONTROL 8500, the smallest SMART 3D laser scanner in its class, featuring a 4K sensor matrix and up to 25 million points per second. The unit integrates full 3D data processing, delivering calibrated point clouds or 2D profiles directly...
ONE Full Year Profit Down 92%, Q4 in the Black
Ocean Network Express (ONE) posted a full‑year FY2025 net profit of $338 million, a 92% plunge from $4.24 billion the year before, while revenue fell 14% to $16.62 billion. The carrier rebounded in Q4, delivering a $55 million profit after an $88 million loss in...
MSNOW Velshi & RUHLE WHAT COULD SHORTAGES MEAN.
The episode explores how ongoing oil and gas shortages—exacerated by the war in the Middle East and Iran’s mining of the Strait of Hormuz—could keep fuel prices high well beyond a cease‑fire, affecting jet fuel, diesel, and global supply chains....