MARAD Invests $13.2M in U.S. Marine Highway Projects
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) has allocated $13.2 million to 11 marine highway projects across seven states, supporting initiatives such as waste transport in Oregon and barge‑dock upgrades in Pennsylvania. The funding, part of the broader U.S. Marine Highway Program, aims to improve supply‑chain resilience by integrating waterways into the national freight system. Secretary Sean P. Duffy highlighted job creation and regional economic boosts, while MARAD Administrator Steve Carmel emphasized expanding freight capacity. The program operates within a 27,139‑mile network covering 35 designated routes in 41 states and territories.
SDVI To Feature New Rally Media Supply Chain Management Enhancements
SDVI will unveil major upgrades to its Rally media supply chain platform at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The enhancements include an expanded Rally Connect network supporting dozens of new streaming endpoints such as Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV, as well...
Can Smart Freight Tech Fix Congestion on I-40 Near Memphis?
The Tennessee Department of Transportation has teamed with Cavnue, LLC to launch a smart freight corridor pilot on I‑40 between Memphis and the upcoming Ford Blue Oval City campus. The initiative will deploy connected and autonomous trucking technologies, installing temporary...
Stellantis Sues Supplier in Mexico, Halting Jeep Production
Stellantis has filed a lawsuit in Michigan against parts supplier ZF Chassis Modules over a disputed $70 million price increase for suspension modules. The dispute forced a shutdown of the Toluca, Mexico plant that builds Jeep Compass and Cherokee models, halting...
Atlas A350F Order Supports Expansion as 777-8F Remains an Option
Atlas Air placed a landmark order for 20 Airbus A350 freighters, with options for 20 more, marking its largest freighter purchase ever and the first time a cargo carrier will operate large wide‑body aircraft from two OEMs. The A350F deliveries...
How Good Is Your DC Simulation Model?
Distribution centers are racing to integrate new automation to meet soaring e‑commerce demand, prompting many to adopt computer simulations before committing capital. Amazon’s design engineering team, led by Abhineet Mittal, has pioneered a modular discrete‑event simulation method that breaks the...
Stratasys to Support Qualification & Deployment of 3D Printed Parts Across Military Platforms via US DOW Contract
Stratasys Direct has been chosen for the U.S. Department of War’s Joint Additive Manufacturing Acceptability (JAMA) IV Pilot Parts Program, which aims to accelerate qualification and deployment of 3D‑printed components across military platforms. The initiative builds on Stratasys’ existing footprint...
Ulta Doubled Store Fulfillment Capabilities in 2025
Ulta Beauty doubled its ship‑from‑store footprint in fiscal 2025, increasing the number of U.S. stores that fulfill e‑commerce orders from roughly 500 to over 1,000. The expansion was powered by an AI‑driven order‑management system that optimized inventory allocation across stores....
Tariff Refunds: Court Expands Scope to Include Finally Liquidated Entries
The U.S. Court of International Trade broadened a prior order, directing Customs and Border Protection to refund tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) for all import entries, including those already finally liquidated. The amendment follows the...
HEAPGrasp: A Faster, Smarter Way for Robots to Handle Tricky Objects
Researchers at Tokyo University of Science introduced HEAPGrasp, a novel robot grasping system that relies solely on RGB images to reconstruct 3D shapes of transparent, reflective, and opaque objects. By extracting silhouettes from multiple viewpoints and using a shape‑from‑silhouette algorithm...
US Pressures Brussels to Join AI Chips Club
The United States is urging the European Union to join Pax Silica, a Washington‑led club aimed at safeguarding AI‑related semiconductor and mineral supply chains against China. EU officials stalled formal talks on membership, even as Sweden and Greece signed the...
Dollar General Slashes 1,500 SKUs, Boosts In-Stocks
Dollar General has eliminated more than 1,500 SKUs, driving a leaner product mix and reducing fourth‑quarter merchandise levels by 5.7%, equivalent to a $379 million drop. Inventory fell to $6.3 billion, while in‑stock rates improved by roughly 250 basis points year over...
Global Trade Compliance Is Under Strain. Execution Models Must Evolve
Global trade compliance is shifting from a downstream checkpoint to an integral part of supply‑chain execution as enforcement tightens and sanctions screening expands. New regulations increase the risk of costly border delays, prompting firms to embed compliance directly into transaction...
How the Iran War Is Reshaping Kazakhstan’s Role in Eurasia
The Iran‑Russia war has shut the Strait of Hormuz, forcing Central Asian exporters to abandon the Southern Corridor. Kazakhstan’s Trans‑Caspian “Middle Corridor” has surged from 0.8 million to 4.5 million tons between 2020 and 2024, growing over 60 % in 2024 alone. The...
Matson Responds to Growing Cargo Theft in Intermodal Shipments
Matson announced a new cargo‑security program launching in Q2, deploying free security devices on containers traveling from Los Angeles to all BNSF network destinations and positioning them in the lower well of intermodal rail cars for added protection. The initiative responds...
Missile Attack Sparks Renewed Threat to Red Sea Shipping
Iranian‑backed Houthi rebels launched a missile strike against Israel, prompting fears they could extend attacks to commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The threat revives concerns of a renewed blockade of this vital maritime corridor, already strained by Iran’s ongoing...
EU Duty Changes Are Coming. Are You Ready for July?
From 1 July 2026 the EU will scrap the €150 (≈ $165) de minimis exemption, imposing a €3 (≈ $3.30) duty on each imported item. The change targets low‑value parcels that have surged with cross‑border e‑commerce and aims to curb undervaluation. UK brands shipping directly...
Connected Vehicles and the Shift to Real-Time Transportation Execution
Connected vehicle technology is evolving from isolated telemetry tools to a core component of real‑time transportation execution. By integrating telematics data directly into TMS, warehouse systems, and control towers, shippers can adjust routes, update delivery commitments, and coordinate inventory on...
Czechia’s SŽ Targets Foreign Suppliers with Procurement Shake-Up
Czech infrastructure manager Správa železnic (SŽ) will host its first "Suppliers Day" on April 14 to unveil a new procurement framework that breaks large rail contracts into discipline‑specific tenders. The shift aims to lower entry barriers for foreign and smaller...
Hormuz Closure Triggers ‘Havoc’ for Project Logistics Supply Chain
The near‑total closure of the Strait of Hormuz has slashed vessel transits by 97% in the past 25 days, halting all traffic on March 25. The paralysis is driving sky‑high insurance premiums, causing carriers to refuse quotes for cargo entering the...
Centre Approves NMPA’s Proposal to Redevelop Berth No. 9
India’s Union government has approved the New Mangalore Port Authority’s plan to redevelop berth 9 on a PPP DBFOT basis, with an estimated cost of ₹438.29 crore (≈ $53 million). The upgrade will raise the berth draft from 10.5 m to 14 m, with provisions for...
Reeves Urges G7 to Reject Protectionism as Hormuz Crisis Escalates
The Strait of Hormuz blockade, now in its second month, has halted the flow of roughly 21 million barrels of oil per day—about 20% of global consumption—and disrupted 30% of the world’s nitrogen‑based fertilizer trade, sending Brent crude sharply higher. British...
International Business Briefs | Nigerians Face 65% Surge in Fuel Prices
Fuel prices in Nigeria have surged 65% as the newly built 650,000‑bpd Dangote refinery failed to offset market pressures from costly crude imports and debt‑linked export obligations. In the UK, mortgage approvals rose to 62,584 in February, outpacing forecasts, while...
The Impact of Energy Prices on European Paper Packaging Buyers’
A surge in Middle East conflict has pushed European energy prices sharply higher, with the Dutch TTF natural‑gas benchmark jumping from about $33 to $74 per megawatt‑hour, a rise of over 60 percent. Because roughly half of paper‑mill energy in...
Neolix Scales RoboVan-as-a-Service Model, Accelerates Expansion Across China and Overseas
Neolix announced that its RoboVan-as-a-Service (RaaS) model has processed over 1.5 million on‑demand delivery orders and logged more than 40 million kilometers of autonomous driving across Chinese cities. In Qingdao, the company now runs one of the largest single‑city autonomous fleets, handling...
My Freighter Launches New Asia-Europe Routes
Uzbekistan‑based cargo carrier My Freighter has launched weekly Asia‑Europe services linking Hanoi, Bangkok and Almaty to Frankfurt via its Tashkent hub, with a direct Tashkent‑Frankfurt leg starting 29 March. The routes are operated with Boeing 767‑300 freighters, seven of which are passenger‑to‑freighter...
Guidance: Supply Estimates Guidance Manual
The UK Treasury released a 2026 edition of its "Supply Estimates: a guidance manual," updating the original 2011 version. The revision incorporates current parliamentary practices, spending limits, and procedures agreed with Parliament and the National Audit Office, while removing outdated...
Made by Shein: The Ultra-Fast Fashion Giant Is Pitching Itself to Aussie Clothing Labels
Shein is courting Australian fashion labels to join its Xcelerator program, a supply‑chain‑as‑a‑service platform that plugs brands into its AI‑driven manufacturing, logistics and e‑commerce network. The initiative, which already supports 20 brands worldwide and has generated more than $400 million in...
DHL GF Ramps up Asia-Europe Capacity
DHL Global Forwarding is boosting its Asia‑Europe capacity by launching weekly freighter flights from Shanghai to Leipzig and from Liège to Hong Kong, leveraging the DHL Express network. The routes will be operated with Boeing 777F aircraft and include a Tel Aviv stopover...
HMND 01 Alpha Goes to Work: Humanoid Completes Automotive Manufacturing Logistics POC with SAP and Martur Fompak
Humanoid’s HMND 01 Alpha wheeled robot completed a live‑production logistics proof of concept with SAP and Martur Fompak, demonstrating autonomous picking and delivery in an automotive factory. The robot received task orders from SAP’s Business AI, navigated to pallets, retrieved KLT...
US-Iran Conflict Begins to Disrupt India’s Q-Commerce and Logistics Sectors
The US‑Iran conflict is beginning to ripple through India’s quick‑commerce, e‑commerce and logistics ecosystem, driving higher fuel, diesel and urea costs and causing truck delays in key states like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Packaging inputs have surged, with plastics up...
Celonis - Europe's Defense Reckoning Has an Execution Gap and a Sovereignty Problem
European defense spending is set to surge, with roughly €600 billion (about $652 billion) earmarked for re‑armament. The influx of hardware orders has exposed an "execution gap"—outdated logistics, fragmented data, and slow supply‑chain processes that could waste a large share of the...
Dobbe Transport Receives eActros 600 Delivery
Dobbe Transport, a Dutch logistics firm with over a hundred trucks, has added a Mercedes‑Benz eActros 600 long‑haul electric truck to its Benelux fleet, joining an earlier eActros 300. The 6×2 flatbed offers roughly 500 km range and is slated to log about...
Your Bottle Of Olive Oil Just Got Caught In A War Zone
The Iran war has turned the olive‑oil supply chain into a geopolitical liability, adding fuel‑price pressure, a 15% EU tariff and Red Sea shipping disruptions. The United States, which imports over 95% of its 380,000‑ton annual consumption, faces higher freight...
Nova Reports First Commercial Order of New Syndigo rPE
Nova Chemicals announced the first commercial order of its Syndigo rPE‑IN3 recycled polyethylene, shipping roughly 200,000 pounds to Sigma Plastics in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The resin will be used in Sigma’s Sustain360 stretch‑film line for retailers and distribution centers, marking a milestone...
Low German Middle Distillate Demand Encourages Exports
Southwestern Germany’s oversupplied middle‑distillate market is prompting traders to export diesel and heating oil down the Rhine to the Amsterdam‑Rotterdam‑Antwerp (ARA) hub. Regional heating‑oil prices in Karlsruhe were about €13 per 100 L (≈$14) below the national average, while diesel discounts...
How to Schedule Industrial Cleaning to Avoid Downtime in Fast-Paced Supply Chains
Modern warehouses operate 24/7, making any downtime costly. Siemens reports unplanned downtime in fast‑moving consumer goods averages $36,000 per hour and is rising. Neglected industrial cleaning—dust on conveyors, motors, and high‑level surfaces—can trigger equipment failures, fire hazards, and product contamination,...
As U.S. Blockade Bites, Cuba’s Health Care and Science Suffer
The United States’ de‑facto oil blockade has triggered prolonged electricity blackouts across Cuba, crippling hospitals and forcing the Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM) to suspend eight of its ten active clinical trials. Supply shortages and a collapsed transport network are...
FMC Complaint Sees Importer Take Aim at Hapag-Lloyd over Covid-Era D&D Fee
Orleans International has filed a new complaint with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission accusing Hapag‑Lloyd of imposing $3,600 per TEU detention and demurrage (D&D) charges during the pandemic‑driven port congestion. The importer alleges that Hapag‑Lloyd’s containers were stacked in a...
China Opens Probes Into US Trading Practices
China’s Ministry of Commerce announced two investigations into U.S. trade practices, focusing on alleged disruptions to global supply chains and restrictions on green product trade. The probes respond to recent U.S. Section 301 investigations targeting Chinese overcapacity and forced‑labor rules. Over...
Procedure for the First Archaeological Contract for the Dublin Metro
Transport Infrastructure Ireland has qualified five archaeological firms to bid on the first contract for Dublin’s MetroLink, covering the northern stretch from Estuary to Fosterstown. The qualification system remains open, allowing additional firms to join as the project progresses. Archaeological...
How Today’s PV Buyers Can Navigate ITC Uncertainty, Supply-Chain Risk and Verification Challenges
The Inflation Reduction Act’s solar investment tax credit has been tightened by H.R. 1, limiting eligible projects to those that start construction by July 4 2026 and finish within four years. The law also expands eligibility to require detailed traceability, ownership disclosure, and...
Rolls-Royce SMR, Studsvik Sign MoU to Boost SMR Supply Chain
Rolls‑Royce SMR and Swedish nuclear services firm Studsvik have signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation across Studsvik’s full suite of nuclear services for small modular reactors. The MoU will evaluate Studsvik’s capabilities in fuel qualification, plant life management,...
Agibot Reaches 10,000 Humanoid Units Built as Real-World Demand for Robots Accelerates
Agibot announced the production of its 10,000th humanoid robot, a milestone that underscores a rapid shift from niche pilots to large‑scale commercial deployment. The company accelerated production from 5,000 to 10,000 units in just three months, a four‑fold speed increase...
NAFFIC, AWARE Claim First China-EU DPP for Textiles
Mandatory digital product passports (DPPs) will be required for all textile products sold in the EU from 2027, and NAFFIC and AWARE have launched the first China‑EU compliant DPP for a recycled‑polyester garment. The passport records every step—from post‑consumer plastic...
Lufthansa Cargo Increases Delhi and Transpac Flying for the Summer
Lufthansa Cargo unveiled its summer freighter schedule, adding a second weekly transpacific flight from Ho Chi Minh via Shanghai to Los Angeles and reinstating a weekly service to Delhi, bringing Indian connections to six per week. The carrier also boosted its North American...
Coop Electrifies Logistics in Sweden’s Uppland Region
Coop is converting its Uppland regional grocery logistics to fully electric vehicles, covering 23 stores and roughly 659,000 kilometres of routes each year. Partnering with Swedish tech firm Einride, the transition aims for completion by the first half of 2026....
Process Begins for Sale of Rail Logistics Europe Stake
SNCF is advancing the sale of up to 49 % of Rail Logistics Europe (RLE), valued at roughly €800 million (about $860 million), with Lazard and Indosuez handling the process. The stake covers six freight subsidiaries and is slated for completion by 2027....
Slovenia’s Success: The Divača–Koper Double-Track Line
On March 11, 2026 a Flirt test train successfully traversed Slovenia’s new 27.7‑km Divača–Koper double‑track line, proving the route’s operational readiness. The line, 75 % of which runs through tunnels—including a 6.7‑km longest tunnel—replaces the single‑track bottleneck and cuts the Divača‑Koper...
Operator Wanted for Key Mixed Gauge Terminal in Spanish Basque Countries
Spain’s infrastructure manager Adif is seeking a six‑year operator for the Jundiz Intermodal Terminal, the country’s first facility on the TEN‑T Atlantic Corridor with standard gauge. The minimum bid is about €1.4 million (≈$1.5 million), with a possible extension of up to...