ITER Magnet Milestone Tests Fusion’s Construction Supply Chain
The U.S. ITER program, managed from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has shipped the final components of the central solenoid magnet system to the ITER fusion reactor in Cadarache, France. This completes the American contribution to one of ITER’s most complex subsystems and clears the way for the project’s first‑plasma goal, now slated for 2034. The milestone underscores the scale of international cooperation required for large‑scale fusion infrastructure. It also highlights the advanced manufacturing capabilities that the U.S. brings to the global fusion supply chain.
April Trucking Jobs Report Shows a Big Increase in Hiring
Truck transportation employment rose by 4,300 jobs in April, bringing the sector to 1,496,600 positions—the strongest monthly gain since September 2023. The increase follows a sharp layoff wave after Yellow Corp.’s shutdown, suggesting some displaced workers found new roles. Industry...
Merck Advances Scalable Manufacturing for Oral PCSK9 Therapy
Merck has published a landmark study in Science describing a scalable biocatalytic synthesis platform for its investigational oral PCSK9 inhibitor, enlicitide decanoate. The enzyme‑driven process enables selective peptide fragment formation, coupling, macrocyclization and uses crystallization‑based purification, aiming to reduce reliance...
Malaysia Tightens Norms for Imported EVs
Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry announced that from July 1 2026 only franchise‑approved permit holders may import fully built electric vehicles (CBU) with a CIF value of at least RM200,000 (about $44,000) and a powertrain output of 180 kW. The rule...
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain’s Strategic Moment: Lessons From Health System Leaders
Health system leaders at Becker’s 16th Annual Meeting highlighted a turning point in pharmaceutical distribution, emphasizing that poor data quality hampers AI forecasting and that clean, centralized inventory data is now a prerequisite. Executives described initiatives such as RFID deployments...
Maersk Mulls Potential Red Sea Return as Hopes Rise over US-Iran Deal
Maersk is weighing a restart of its Red Sea‑Suez Canal services as diplomatic momentum builds around a potential US‑Iran nuclear agreement. The carrier halted Red Sea transits in February 2024 after Houthi attacks escalated, forcing vessels onto longer routes around...
Pakistan Shuns Spot LNG
Pakistan’s state‑owned LNG arm rejected an emergency spot‑market tender for two May cargoes, betting that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen and cheaper long‑term supplies from Qatar will arrive. The decision follows a cease‑fire in the US‑Iran conflict but comes...
South Korea Demo Shows Humanoids, ‘Robot Dogs’ Teaming Up in a Warehouse
LG CNS showcased its PhysicalWorks Baton platform, letting humanoid, quadruped, AMR and AGV robots collaborate autonomously in a Seoul warehouse demo. The system coordinated a Unitree humanoid, Deep Robotics’ M20 quadruped, Dexmate’s wheeled robot and Bear Robotics’ Carti‑100 without human...
Chinese EV Maker Leapmotor Taps Stellantis’ Spanish Plant for EU Production
Leapmotor, backed by a 21% stake from Stellantis, will add a production line at the Stellantis‑owned Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza to build Opel‑branded electric SUVs and its B10 model for Europe. The joint venture, Leapmotor International, gives Leapmotor a 49%...
Forward Air Flags Customer Loss, Stock Plummets
Forward Air reported a $34 million net loss for Q1 and warned that a contract‑logistics customer accounting for roughly 10% of its $2.5 billion annual revenue is diversifying away. The disclosure sent the stock down more than 40% and confirmed a strategic...
China’s Shipping Firms Brace for a New ‘Era of Chaos’ as Iran War Drags On
Chinese state‑backed shippers are confronting a prolonged disruption of the Strait of Hormuz as the US‑Israel conflict with Iran drags on. Cosco Shipping Holdings has shifted to longer, multimodal routes and doubled down on digital integration, but its first‑quarter net...
Middle East Conflict Threatens DRC Copper and Cobalt Sector Amid Sulfuric Acid Shortage
China’s suspension of sulfuric acid exports amid heightened Middle East tensions is tightening a critical input for copper leaching worldwide. The disruption could shave up to 125,000 tonnes of copper output from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2026, while...
Box Makers Struggle to Pass on War Costs
Packaging producers are feeling a double hit as the Middle East conflict pushes diesel and energy costs higher while consumer demand remains weak. The war‑driven surge in transportation expenses forced Sonoco to absorb an $8‑$10 million quarterly hit and Smurfit Westrock to...
ABS, HD KSOE Collaborate for Digital Shipbuilding, Vessel Intelligence
ABS and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) signed a memorandum of understanding to develop digital technologies that enhance safety and performance across the vessel value chain. The partnership will create Digital Threads for secure data flow, explore 3‑D...
Engine Room Fire Risk Growing with Ageing Fleet, Says Insurer Group
A new Cefor study finds engine‑room fire incidents are rising as the global merchant fleet ages, with vessels older than 15 years accounting for the majority of cases. Passenger ships are identified as the most vulnerable segment. Insurers have described...
The Freight Forwarder Moat Is Getting Shallower
Ocean freight forwarding, an $80 billion market, has long depended on manual booking, documentation, and coordination bundled into a single service. New AI‑driven platforms can ingest rate contracts, parse surcharges, compare carriers and execute bookings end‑to‑end without human intervention. This capability...
CMB.Tech Tanker Makes Rare Trip From Mexico to Boost Asian Fuel Supply
CMB.Tech’s 158,000‑dwt suezmax Orion sailed from Mexico to Singapore, marking the first Mexican fuel‑oil cargo to Asia in nine months. The vessel, built in 2024, arrived at the key bunkering hub as Asian inventories tighten. The shipment underscores a shift...
ARSP Launches Subcontracting Compliance Campaign in Haut-Katanga to Support Congolese Businesses
The Regulatory Authority for Subcontracting in the Private Sector (ARSP) has launched a new compliance campaign in Haut‑Katanga province, extending a rollout that began in Lualaba and earlier provinces. Led by Director General Miguel Kashal Katemb, the effort seeks to...
EGA Partners with ADNOC to Boost Aluminium Supply Chain
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S) have signed a high‑level agreement to explore joint logistics initiatives that will boost supply‑chain resilience in the aluminium sector. The collaboration, announced at the Make it in the Emirates event,...
Flowspace Launches Omnichannel Fulfillment Solution for Brands Scaling Across DTC, Retail and Wholesale Channels
Flowspace unveiled its B2B Retail Fulfillment Solution, an omnichannel platform that gives brands a single operational view across direct‑to‑consumer, retail and wholesale channels. The offering introduces Inventory Allocation Pools and Order Compliance Automation to prevent inventory mix‑ups and automate retailer‑specific...
How Canada’s Oilpatch Is Reacting to a Generational Price Shock
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the US‑Israeli war with Iran have erased roughly a billion barrels of excess global oil inventory, driving prices to multi‑year highs. Canadian producers, such as Suncor, are enjoying windfalls but are only...
Canada's Energy Gridlock Starts to Crack
South Bow Corp and U.S. partner Bridger Pipeline are on the brink of securing 400,000‑450,000 barrels per day of shipper commitments for an Alberta‑to‑Wyoming pipeline, a threshold needed to start construction. The line, which could eventually move up to 1.13 million...
Spot Rates Edge up, but Carriers Plan More Blanked Sailings
Container spot freight rates on key trans‑pacific and Asia‑Europe lanes nudged higher this week, ending a three‑week price decline into Europe. The Shanghai‑Rotterdam route rose 2% to $2,170 per 40 ft, while Shanghai‑Genoa edged up 1% to $3,075. Carriers are preparing...
Vardhman Textiles Announces US $13.2 Million Punjab Expansion Plan
Vardhman Textiles' board approved a Rs.125 crore ($13.2 million) expansion of its Punjab garment unit, raising shirt output capacity from 2.20 million to roughly 4.5 million units per year. The plant, already operating at 95 % capacity, aims to complete the upgrade by FY ’27 using...
Maersk Would Use US-Backed Strait of Hormuz Convoy Again, Says CEO
Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc announced the Danish carrier will once again join the U.S. Navy‑backed “Project Freedom” convoy to transit the Strait of Hormuz if the operation is reinstated. The line had previously refused to sail the waterway over safety...
Vallarpadam Loses Transhipment Cargo Share to Newcomer Vizhinjam
DP World‑operated Vallarpadam terminal at Cochin saw transhipment volumes plunge 49% year‑on‑year to 85,911 TEU in FY 2025‑26, cutting total throughput to 767,948 TEU. In contrast, Adani‑run Vizhinjam, which opened in December 2024, handled 1.3 million TEU, surpassing its 1 million TEU design capacity....
Reborn Chinese Shipyard Secures Debut Order From Domestic Start-Up
China’s revitalised shipbuilder Tianjin Haiyu has secured its first contract, delivering two 353,147‑cubic‑foot refrigerated vessels for domestic start‑up Chishan Group’s Shandong Fuerdon plant. The order, reported by Clarksons, marks the yard’s debut in commercial production after a recent restructuring. The...
DoorDash Spending $50 Million to Help Drivers With Gas Costs
DoorDash announced a $50 million fuel‑relief program to offset rising gasoline costs for its gig drivers. The initiative was disclosed during the company’s latest earnings call, where executives said delivery demand remains robust despite higher transportation expenses. DoorDash’s CFO noted that...
Iran Seizes US-Sanctioned Oil Tanker Off Oman: IRNA
Iran’s navy seized the oil tanker Ocean Koi on May 7 off Oman, citing an attempt to disrupt Iranian oil exports. The vessel, also known as Jin Li, was carrying a small load of high‑sulphur fuel oil bound for the UAE’s Khor Fakkan...
Chad P. Bown on the State of US-China Trade
In a short video released ahead of the upcoming Trump‑Xi summit, PIIE senior researcher Chad P. Bown warned that bilateral trade between the United States and China has contracted sharply since the start of the second Trump administration. He highlighted that U.S....
China Confirms Attack on Oil Tanker in Strait of Hormuz Earlier This Week
China’s foreign ministry confirmed that a Chinese‑crewed oil‑products tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. The vessel, likely the Marshall Islands‑flagged JV Innovation, suffered a deck fire but no crew casualties have been reported. The incident...
Iran Conflict Pushes Global Food Prices to Three-Year High
The United Nations’ food commodity index jumped 1.6% in April, reaching its highest level in over three years as the Iran‑Israel war disrupts supply chains. Prices for vegetable oils, meat and cereals drove the increase, with the meat index up...
DesignX: OS and AI Layer for Factory Decisions
DesignX introduced Df-OS, a no‑code Digital Factory Operating System, and Vish.ai, an AI reasoning layer that turn raw factory data into actionable decisions. The platform sits above existing ERP, MES and IoT tools, structuring process information and applying real‑time insights...
Hunan Yuneng Plans Cathode Material Factory in Spain
Chinese battery material maker Hunan Yuneng announced a €800 million ($872 million) investment to build a lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) cathode plant in Mérida, Spain. The first phase will cost €125 million ($136 million) and deliver 50,000 tonnes of cathode material annually, with a later expansion to...
Bill Seeks Moratorium on US Oil Exports
Democratic Representative Brad Sherman introduced the Stop Oil Exports to Lower Gas Prices Act, seeking a moratorium on U.S. crude, gasoline and diesel exports while the war with Iran continues. The bill aims to keep domestic supplies abundant, hoping to...
Poland Requests Urgent JNS Procedure Relating to Innofreight MonTainer XXM
Poland’s Office of Rail Transport (UTK) has lodged an urgent Joint Notification System (JNS) request concerning Innofreight’s 13‑ft MonTainer XXM containers equipped with gravity‑based HardTop covers. The move follows a April 2025 incident where a cover detached in windy conditions and struck...
TSS Cruiser CSOV Ready to Support Taiwan's Offshore Wind Projects
Ta San Shang Marine (TSSM), a joint venture of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Taiwan’s Ta Tong Marine, has taken delivery of the TSS Cruiser, a new commissioning service operation vessel built by Damen in Vietnam. The vessel expands crew capacity to...
Emirates SkyCargo Performance Boosted by Freighter Additions in 25/26
Emirates SkyCargo reported a modest revenue rise to AED 16.2 bn (≈$4.4 bn) and a 2.5% increase in total cargo volume to 2.4 m tonnes for the year ending 31 March. The boost came from five new Boeing 777 freighters, two wet‑leased 747s and an expanding...
'Regardless of the Type of Offer, Available Capacity Is Essentially Zero Right Now': SK Hynix Is Reportedly Being Swamped with...
SK Hynix, the world’s second‑largest memory maker, is inundated with unprecedented offers from big‑tech firms seeking to secure DDR5 and NAND chips amid a global memory shortage. Reuters reports that capacity is effectively zero, with no allocation possible for individual...
E-Way Bill Generation Eases in April After March Peak
India’s electronic way‑bill system recorded 133.3 million permits in April, a 5% dip from the March peak of 140 million but still 12% above the same month last year. The decline reflects seasonal year‑end dispatches, while the year‑on‑year rise signals continued goods‑movement...
Toyota Takes US$4.3bn Iran Hit as Disruptions Batter Industry
Toyota warned that the Iran‑Israel conflict will cost it about $4.3 billion in the current fiscal year, driven by higher aluminium, resin and rubber prices and logistics delays. The automaker is absorbing these cost spikes across its supplier network, further squeezing...
P&G Shifts Supply Chain 3.0, Other Platforms Into Large-Scale Rollout
Procter & Gamble has moved its Supply Chain 3.0 program from pilot to company‑wide rollout, deploying automation across warehouses and manufacturing sites. The initiative, launched in 2023, targets up to $1.5 billion in cost‑of‑goods‑sold savings and 98% product availability by 2030. Technologies...
Nikon AM Synergy Secures New DLA Supply Chain Contract
The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency awarded Nikon AM Synergy a contract under the JAMA IV IDIQ Pilot Parts Program, making the firm a direct additive‑manufacturing supplier for defense components. The pilot will test whether 3‑D printed parts can replace traditional production...
Asia-Europe Shippers Eye Multimodal Routes as Airfreight Costs Soar
Rising air‑freight rates—up 41% year‑over‑year to $5.14 per kilogram—and prolonged ocean delays from Red Sea disruptions have prompted Asia‑Pacific shippers to test sea‑air routes via the U.S. West Coast for Europe. Forwarders such as Dimerco and DHL Global Forwarding now...
UTC Overseas, Transoceanic Launch US Gulf Coast Logistics Joint Venture
UTC Overseas and Transoceanic Development have formed UTC Transo, a New Orleans‑based joint venture to meet the surge in logistics demand from energy, power and industrial‑infrastructure projects along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The partnership blends UTC Overseas’ global project‑logistics and customs‑brokerage...
Amazon India to Scale up Rest Facilities for Delivery Associates to 250 in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Other Cities
Amazon India announced it will expand its Ashray rest‑stop network to 250 centres across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and other cities, adding 50 new sites by the end of May. The facilities offer air‑conditioned seating, water, electrolytes, charging points...
Middle East: More Air Freight Activity as Fuel Surcharges Ease, Says DHL
DHL Global Forwarding reports that Middle East air‑freight activity is stabilising as airline fuel surcharges begin to ease. Capacity is expanding and rates are softening, though they remain above pre‑crisis levels. DHL has restored intercontinental flights to Bahrain, Dubai, Qatar...
Transport Costs Jump 20% in Cambodia Clothing, Textile Sector Due to Oil Crisis
Transport costs in Cambodia’s clothing and textile sector have surged by roughly 20% as diesel prices spike amid an oil crisis that has tightened Gulf fuel supplies. The increase threatens profit margins for manufacturers and could push garment prices higher...
Delivering the Digital Railway: Coordinating Routes and Renewals
Rail BI highlights that the European Train Control System (ETCS) rollout hinges on synchronising route assets, renewal schedules, and rolling stock readiness. By consolidating route‑level asset data, Target Renewal Dates, and fleet fitment into a single platform, planners gain real‑time...
More Federal Funding for Oregon Container Port — and It’s Not in Portland
The U.S. Maritime Administration has awarded an $11.25 million grant to the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay for its Pacific Coast Intermodal Port (PCIP) project, a proposed ship‑to‑rail container hub 200 miles south of Portland. The state has already committed $100 million...