Aqaba Reinvents Itself as Shifts to Energy-Logistics Hub
Facing dual chokepoint disruptions, Jordan’s Port of Aqaba is repositioning itself from a traditional container hub to an energy‑logistics center. The port is integrating infrastructure left idle in the Gulf, expanding LNG import terminals, and developing green‑fuel export capabilities. Overland connections are being enhanced to channel cargo toward Iraq, creating a diversified revenue stream. These moves aim to capture shifting trade flows and mitigate regional supply‑chain volatility.
Can AI Run A Container Port Better Than Humans?
The article argues that AI’s greatest value for container ports lies in predictive analytics, not just automation of cranes or equipment. By forecasting congestion before it materializes, AI can turn chaotic data into actionable decisions. This intelligence shift could give...
IEEPA Tariff Refunds Are Now Underway: What U.S. Importers Need to Know
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) system on May 12, 2026 to begin refunding IEEPA tariffs imposed between April 2025 and February 2026. An estimated $166 billion in duties—including rates up to...
Control System: Hidden Risks of Online Edits in Running Plants
Online editing lets engineers modify PLC logic without stopping production, but the practice introduces hidden risks. When a change is applied, the controller briefly reorganizes execution, causing one‑scan disturbances, false edge detections, and memory resets. These transient glitches can flicker...
How Top Supply Chain Leaders Are Using AI Differently in 2026
In 2026, leading supply‑chain executives are redefining AI beyond routine automation. Rather than using it merely as a faster search engine for scorecards or RFQ templates, they employ AI to question existing assumptions, amplify team capabilities, and embed intelligence across...
Freight Costs Are Becoming a Farmgate Issue
Freight costs have emerged as a critical, often overlooked factor in agricultural profitability. The Baltic Dry Index has more than doubled year‑over‑year, reflecting tighter shipping conditions, while container rates surged during COVID and remain elevated. Higher shipping expenses increase the...
You Don’t Know Where Anything Comes From
A recent New York Times investigation reveals that the U.S. Mint has been buying gold sourced from Colombian drug cartels, despite legal requirements to purchase only domestically mined metal. The scheme exploits licensed cartel miners, middlemen, and U.S. refineries that fail to...
The Planning Window Just Got Shorter
The latest Under the Hood briefing highlights a tightening planning horizon for automotive suppliers. Honda has stretched the production cycles of five high‑volume models by up to seven years, shifting focus to hybrid powertrains. Ford is redirecting a $2 billion battery...
FMCSA Registration to Go Dark: How Truckers Can Prep for Motus
The FMCSA will deactivate its current registration portal on May 14, forcing all motor carriers with authority to transition to the new Motus system. Carriers must log in, verify their account, update company details, and designate a primary official for ID...
Why June Is the Oil Market’s Point of No Return
The U.S.-Iran conflict has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, cutting roughly 14.5 million barrels per day of Middle‑East crude and driving global oil inventories down at a record 11‑12 million barrels daily. JP Morgan warns that only 800 million barrels of the 8.4 billion‑barrel...
The Sad Demise of the Food Industry
The food industry’s supply‑chain performance has collapsed between 2016 and 2025, with average operating margins slipping to 11% and inventory turns falling to 7.82, marking a 35% decline in inventory efficiency. Legacy 1990s practices—such as rigid demand‑error reduction and outsourced...
Senior Distribution Manager - UK + International // UNCLE (London)
UNCLE, a global street‑advertising agency, is hiring a Senior Distribution Manager in London to lead its UK team and coordinate poster distribution for international campaigns outside the United States. The role oversees partner liaison, supplier payments, posting schedules and rate‑card...
Siemens and OnLogic Partner On Industrial Edge
Siemens and OnLogic announced a strategic partnership to bring Siemens Industrial Edge to extreme edge environments. The collaboration pairs Siemens’ Industrial Edge software platform with OnLogic’s fanless, ruggedized edge computing hardware, enabling deployment in high‑vibration, wash‑down and other harsh conditions....
Demanding Minerals in Exchange for Lives in Zambia
The Trump administration drafted a memo that would withhold HIV, tuberculosis and malaria aid to Zambia unless the country grants U.S. firms expanded access to its critical minerals. More than 1.2 million Zambians rely on the life‑saving PEPFAR program, which could...
How B2B Chemical Procurement Is Going Digital — And What It Means for Industrial Buyers
Digital platforms are transforming B2B chemical procurement, especially for glycol‑ether solvents used in paints, cleaners, and electronics. Online catalogs, real‑time inventory data, and automated quotation tools compress supplier qualification from weeks to days and enable instant grade comparison. The shift...
Tesla Giga Texas Buzzing as New Cybertruck Appears to Enter Production
Tesla’s Giga Texas plant appears to have started series production of the newly launched Dual‑Motor AWD Cybertruck, priced at $59,990. Drone footage captured multiple units staged for shipment, confirming the model’s move from prototype to ramp. At the same facility,...
The Permian Pipeline Buildout Reaches Critical Mass
Natural gas production in the Permian Basin has doubled since 2018, reaching 25.4 billion cubic feet per day and representing 22% of U.S. marketed gas. Takeaway capacity has lagged, driving deep discounts at the Waha hub and occasional negative pricing. Three...
Iran News: Pres Trump Is Considering Renewing Project Freedom
President Trump is reportedly weighing a restart of Project Freedom, a U.S.-led naval operation to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran limited transit. Tehran has countered by demanding the United States clean up alleged nuclear‑dust contamination...
Inside Bot Auto’s Fully Autonomous Commercial Launch Field Report
Bot Auto launched a fully autonomous, revenue‑generating freight run on April 29, 2026, covering 231 miles from northeast Houston to Hutchins, Texas. The truck operated without a driver, safety attendant, or remote operator, making it the first carrier to earn...
Quantum Announces Participation in the Critical Minerals Institute (CMI) Summit
Quantum Critical Metals Corp. announced its participation in the Critical Minerals Institute (CMI) Summit 5, scheduled for May 13‑14, 2026 in Toronto. CEO Marcy Kiesman will deliver a featured talk on the geopolitics of rubidium, gallium and cesium. The two‑day event convenes mining, defense,...
Maersk Q1 2026: More Cargo, Less Margin!
Maersk reported a drop in Q1 2026 revenue and earnings despite moving record cargo volumes. The carrier’s ocean freight segment saw margins shrink as weakened pricing power outweighed higher utilization and lower unit costs. Strong performance in its logistics and...
Roboze Strengthens Digital Supply Chain Strategy With Acquisition of DiManEx
Roboze, the Italian high‑temperature FFF printer maker, has acquired the assets of Dutch digital‑inventory specialist DiManEx, which entered bankruptcy in February. The acquisition enables Roboze to embed DiManEx’s on‑demand spare‑part printing and cloud orchestration into its Pandora and SlizeR software,...
A Qatari Gas Tanker Passed the Strait of Hormuz
A Qatari LNG tanker, Al Kharaitiyat, became the first vessel to navigate the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran‑Israel war began, using a Tehran‑approved northern route. The transit signals a tentative reopening of a critical oil‑and‑gas corridor, easing some pressure on...
BOS Better Online Solutions (BOSC): Defense Supply Chain Integrator
Better Online Solutions (BOSC), an Israeli defense supply‑chain integrator listed on NASDAQ, was featured in a live Business Breakdown with CEO Eyal Cohen. Cohen outlined the company’s three core divisions—electromechanical connector integration, RFID solutions, and robotic cells—serving major defense customers...
AI as a Defining Force in Procurement Evolution
Artificial intelligence has moved from experimental pilots to a core capability in procurement, with about 75 % of chief procurement officers expecting it to reshape operations. Executives liken the impact to the internet era, signaling AI as a strategic imperative rather...
What Jim Womack Kept Telling Us
In 2007 Jim Womack lamented that his bestseller *The Machine That Changed the World* was being read only as a factory book, despite its broader focus on a complete business system. He warned that Toyota’s rapid global expansion could cause it...
Steel Export Surge to South Africa Spotlights Urgent Policy Overhaul as Disco Powers Regional Industrial Shift
Zimbabwe’s steel export earnings jumped 450% in 2025 to US$92.1 million, driven by Dinson Iron and Steel Company (Disco), the only fully integrated steel producer in the SADC region. The surge fills the supply void left by ArcelorMittal South Africa’s US$208 million...
Does Beijing RUN Things? Is Xi, China's Xi, Our Daddy Trump's Daddy? So Our Daddy Has a Daddy? Can His...
The post highlights that the U.S. Department of Defense now depends on Beijing’s approval to replenish critical rare‑earth minerals needed for weapons systems. It cites the Democracy Perception Index released on May 8, showing China’s global perception at +7% while the...
What the World Can and Can’t Learn From China’s Industrial Policy
China’s industrial policy remains a polarising force in global economic governance as nations look to it for guidance amid geopolitical tension, supply‑chain disruptions, and green‑digital transitions. While high‑visibility subsidies target emerging sectors such as electric vehicles, semiconductors and green hydrogen,...
Confidence, Cost, and Compliance: Insights From the Economist Impact Report
The latest Economist Impact report reveals a global slide in procurement confidence, down 15‑18% across regions, industries and roles. Cost has surged back to prominence, now the second short‑term priority and accounting for 54% of the value proposition. AI has...
Choosing Storage That Holds Up Under Shipping Pressure
The article argues that storage decisions in shipping and logistics must be judged on reliability, not just capacity or price. Poorly chosen sites can create blind spots, damage assets, and trigger costly delays when operational pressure rises. Buyers should assess...
Is National Security The New Winning Investing Trend? | Peter Tchir
Peter Tchir, head of macro strategy at Academy Securities, argues that the "ProSec" trade—production for security—has become a central investing theme as governments prioritize reshoring and supply‑chain resilience amid geopolitical tensions. He highlights that sectors such as aerospace, semiconductors, batteries,...
More Battery Electric Trucks Take To Australian Roads
Centurion has launched a fully off‑grid battery‑electric truck hub at Perth Airport, powering 30 eActros 300 trucks with 4.4 MW of rooftop solar, 10.3 MWh of storage and HVO backup. The $24 million (AUD $36 million) project was underpinned by $10.4 million in Australian Renewable Energy Agency...
How To Ship Shoes: Tips for Packaging and Shipping Shoes
Footwear e‑commerce sellers must package shoes correctly to avoid damage and protect brand reputation. The article outlines a seven‑step process: preparing shoes, selecting the right shoebox, securing items, choosing a carrier, adding branding, labeling accurately, and delivering to the carrier....
Saltbox Raises Series C Led by Packard Capital to Fund National Expansion and Entry Into Chicago Market
Saltbox, a startup that combines flexible warehouse space, logistics infrastructure, co‑working amenities, and on‑site operational support, closed a Series C round led by Packard Capital. The capital will finance the company’s national expansion, including a third Atlanta‑area hub in Chamblee that...
UK May Need Foreign Help to Build Royal Navy Submarine Docks
The UK Ministry of Defence is advancing Programme EUSTON, an initiative to add one or more floating dry docks at Faslane, potentially doubling the Royal Navy’s nuclear‑submarine maintenance capacity. No British shipyard has built a floating dry dock since the...
🧭 Maritime Analytica | Executive Brief
Maritime Analytica published a suite of paid analyses this week, covering profit trends, geopolitical shifts, carrier consolidations, and the growing threat of e‑commerce giants to traditional shipping lines. Highlights include a profit‑stability outlook for 2025, a deep dive into Trump’s...
Contship Launches First Fully Electric Port Tractor at La Spezia Terminal
Contship Italia Group has rolled out its first fully electric port tractor at the La Spezia Container Terminal, marking a key step in its decarbonisation roadmap. The vehicle will be operated by Hannibal for internal shuttle duties, serving as a pilot...
US Secretary of State Rubio Meets with Qatar’s Prime Minister; Iran Attacks Bulk Carrier Ship Near Qatar
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on May 9, 2026 to reaffirm defense cooperation and coordinate responses to regional threats. A day later, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that a bulk carrier was struck by...
DHL Express Launches AI Customs Tool for International Shipping
DHL Express has introduced an AI‑powered item identification tool that lets shippers photograph goods with a smartphone and receive a customs‑compliant description in seconds. The system, the first of its kind among global express carriers, integrates computer‑vision directly into DHL’s...
Toll Group Opens Subic Bay Office to Expand Indo-Pacific Defence Logistics
Toll Group has opened a new office in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, creating a dedicated base for government and defence logistics across the Indo‑Pacific. The facility, operational since March 2026, taps the zone’s seaport, airport and multimodal infrastructure to...
SCOR Model
The Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model provides a universal framework that aligns planning, sourcing, making, delivering, returning, and enabling processes across global enterprises. By standardizing terminology and linking each pillar to measurable metrics such as Perfect Order Fulfillment and...
Chinese EVs Absent From U.S. Roads, But Parts Under The Hood Are Alarming
Chinese-made vehicles remain absent from U.S. roads, yet Chinese auto parts have deeply infiltrated the supply chain. AlixPartners data reveal Chinese firms hold stakes in roughly 10,000 U.S. parts suppliers and supply up to 20% of components in models such...
PLC Startup Vs. Normal Scan Time – Real Plant Impact
The article explains that a PLC’s first scan after power‑on—known as the startup scan—behaves differently from the normal scan used during steady‑state operation. During this brief window the controller may act on stale memory, incomplete sensor data, or unavailable network...
A History of OPEC: Why Its Crisis Is Bad News
The United Arab Emirates announced it will leave OPEC on May 1, arguing that the cartel’s production quotas limit its roughly 5 million barrels‑per‑day capacity. The move marks the first exit of a major producer since OPEC’s founding and underscores a shift...
Germany’s Oltmann Reederei Orders Four 10,000 TEU Ships
German non‑operating owner Oltmann Reederei has placed an order for four 10,000‑TEU containerships with South Korean builder HJ Shipbuilding. The first two vessels were contracted in February 2026, with two additional options exercised in April. All four ships are conventionally...
MTT Shipping Makes Its Bursa Malaysia Debut
MTT Shipping and Logistics Bhd debuted on Bursa Malaysia’s Main Market in late April 2026, raising MYR 652.5 million (≈ USD 165 million) at MYR 1.03 per share. The IPO values the domestic carrier at roughly MYR 2.6 billion (≈ USD 658 million) and adds a publicly‑traded status to its...
Plagues, Tariffs & the Patient Bid
On May 7, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that the administration’s 10% across‑the‑board global tariffs exceeded the authority delegated by Congress, prompting Customs and Border Protection to begin processing refunds on May 12. The Biden administration is shifting to Section 301...
AD Ports Group Develops Defence Industrial Free Zone
AD Ports Group and the Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement have announced a strategic partnership to build the Al Selmiyyah Defence Industrial Free Zone in Abu Dhabi. The initiative seeks to attract leading original equipment manufacturers, localise defence production, and...
BYD Secures 100,000-Vehicle Order From Car Inc in Major Push for Flash Charging
Chinese EV maker BYD has signed a procurement agreement with Car Inc for 100,000 vehicles to expand the rental fleet. The deal includes installation of BYD’s second‑generation flash‑charging stations, part of its “Flash Charging China” plan to build 20,000 chargers...