Supply Chains Evolved Overnight; Others Still Catching Up
I stepped away from running supply chains for a few years. When I came back, like Rip Van Winkle in the classic tale, I found a completely new world. Lots of others are still catching up. Read the tale: https://t.co/yfprjLcO7C #SupplyChainDisruption #ReGlobalization https://t.co/0UfBaNqGwQ
Jet Fuel Shortage Looming; Save for Summer Flights
Even if the Iran ceasefire holds, the world already has a months-long jet fuel shortage baked in. So, start saving for those summer vacation flights. Full Newsletter: https://t.co/RZBrtJ5Ufo #iranwar #jetfuel #geopolitics https://t.co/WaIwrgDGKI
New Podcast Connects Today’s Events to Supply Chain History
Hey peeps. Jon of @asianometry and I have just launched @Supply_Chained A podcast exploring the link between current events & historical developments in technology, manufacturing, and supply chains. We hope you enjoy. https://t.co/4OJ57fzg0N
Russian Oil to India Near Record Levels Despite Sanctions Waiver
MOSCOW, April 21 (Reuters) - Russian oil sales to India are set to remain near record highs in April and May following a new U.S. sanctions waiver, and refiners have already secured much of their supply needs via non-sanctioned entities...
US‑Ecuador Deal Slashes Copper Tariffs, Boosts Exports
The US-Ecuador trade deal could lower copper tariffs and open a new export path for Ecuadorian metals. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/04/us-ecuador-trade-deal-could-open-new.html
Germany Dominates European Trade as Primary Hub
Trade relationships in Europe are more concentrated than many assume. Germany is the top trade partner for 19 European countries by far the most dominant position. The U.S. leads in only a few cases, including the UK, Ireland, and Switzerland. China appears as the...
Russia to Halt Kazakhstan Oil Shipments to Germany
MOSCOW, April 21 (Reuters) - Russia is set to stop oil exports from Kazakhstan to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline starting from May 1, three industry sources said on Tuesday.
Autonomous Robot Uses Subway to Deliver Station Goods
This #Robot Rides the Subway Alone to Deliver Goods Inside Stations by @XueJia24682 #Robotics #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/c3NAfYLRKQ
ATA's Fake Driver Shortage Erodes Industry Trust
One of the primary roles of a trade association's role is to establish goodwill between the industry and public. Unfortunately, due to the ATA's campaigns about a fake driver shortage that undermined the livelihoods of truck drivers and economics of...
Trucking Industry Swamped with Bad News
There has never been more news focused on the trucking industry - and unfortunately, very little of it is good.
Executives Suspect CH May Benefit From Losing SCOTUS Case
I've spoken with a few senior executives at large brokers that believe that CH wants to lose the Supreme Court case. I'm not convinced, but their thinking is that it would destroy a large swath of the freight brokerage industry...
Chip Price Surge Rivals Oil Shock, Adds $300B Surplus
Chip price shock is by some measures as big as the current oil shock -- $300b annual increase in Korean/ Taiwan combined trade surplus v 24 based on latest data (depends of course on where oil settles for the rest...
China’s Solar Supply Triggers Tougher US Security Review
US Interior Security Doug Burgum said China’s key role in supplying US solar developments necessitates a more rigorous review process to ferret out any potential threats to national security https://t.co/VurNwiDahV
Factory AI Needs Consistency, Not Chatbot Creativity
You need factory-first AI to build an AI-first factory. And you won’t get it from OpenAI. Factories don’t need creativity. They need consistency. That’s why AI agents—not chatbots—are taking over the floor. https://t.co/TgOX9rhsnh https://t.co/aC8rsPysoL
Tiny Triggers Can Jeopardize $110 Trillion Economy
turns out it doesn’t take much to hold a $110 trillion global economy at risk.
AI Boosts Forecast Accuracy and Cuts Waste for Retail
AI is delivering real business results. Walmart boosted forecast accuracy by 30% and cut food waste by 15%. Other companies are seeing similar gains: reduced stock-outs, improved on-time delivery, and better forecasting. #AI #BusinessGrowth https://t.co/O6IaMQaFQr
China’s Auto Export Surge Defies EU Tariffs
The second China shock isn't going to go away on its own, or with half measures -- China's auto exports to Europe, for example, have clearly reaccelerated (even with the narrowly targeted CVDs against battery electric imports) 1/ https://t.co/pdaadEXUrD
AI and Robots Poised to Replace Warehouse Workers
A case for the displacement of human labor in warehouses and distribution centers with AI and robotics. https://t.co/5EJcBi3giT #robotics #warehouse #distributioncenter #robotsreplacinghumans #AI #AIrobots https://t.co/luuMseZ330
California’s Oil Decline Forces Costly Imports and Shortages
For a mix of reasons, California has decimated its local oil production. As a result, it’s now producing only about 300,000 barrels a day. But as the economy grows and the population expands, oil demand continues to rise. The state...
USA Rare Earths' Overvalued Deal Boosts
More thoughts on the USA RE/Serra Verde deal. USA Rare Earths is using its massively overvalued paper to buy Brazil's only operating REE mine which should supply 50% of the HREE produced outside China by 2027. But this also puts a...
EU Mandates Replaceable Batteries on All New Smartphones by 2027
JUST IN: 2027 EU mandate requires all new smartphones sold in the EU to have batteries that users can replace themselves using basic tools at home
Perovskite Panels Pilot Boost Solar Efficiency to 30%
Are perovskite solar panels finally becoming real? https://t.co/2fxNgPsIpv Tandem Solar is starting pilot manufacturing of perovskite glass coverings for silicon PV cells (in Fremont, CA) that boost total efficiency from about 20-22% to ~30%. That's a +36-50% output per square meter. They're still...
Tariff Disaster Exposed: Kim Smith Holmes'
Superb statement of the tariff fiasco for the US Government by @kimsmithholmes - with appropriate horror and perspective
Exporting Surplus Won’t Lower Pump Prices
Exporting the zero excess we have is not going to be helping prices at the pump.
Shadow Fleet Still Moves Despite US Trade Halt Claim
“While the US military says it has turned around over 20 vessels and ‘completely halted’ Iranian trade, Lloyd’s List Intelligence shows a steady flow of shadow fleet traffic in and out of the Middle East Gulf” Personally, I trust @TankerTrackers https://t.co/Uu0qgzUlPk
Agentic AI Adds $1.2B to CPU Substrate Market, Shortage Deepens
The one area I did not go deep in my CPU report. Morgan Stanley on the ABF substrate demand tied to the CPU TAM expansion. - Agentic AI to broaden the Server CPU ABF Substrate TAM by US$1.2B: - ABF Substrate under-supply...
Oil Flows Through Hormuz Won’t Normalize Until July
Rystad Energy says it will take until July for roughly normal flows through the Strait of Hormuz "Our analysis shows that it would take until July for oil flows to normalize to some 80-90% of pre-war production levels, and another 1-2...
India Expands Rail, but High Fares Curb Ridership
#India should be commended 4 the investments in expanding its train network—unlike most govts. in Sub-saharan African countries. But if commuters nos. are low due to unaffordable ticket prices, then there’s more work to do. Via @Nik_Inamdar @BBC https://t.co/Hzmv0R9pKy
Containerized Weapons Become Cornerstone of the Golden Fleet
CNO Daryl Caudle says containerized weapon systems will play a key role in the Golden Fleet. “If it fits in a shipping container, I want it” https://t.co/BF0x8gmvTB
Iranian Ship Seized, Linked to China‑Frequented Fleet
Seized Iranian-Flagged Ship Was Part of Fleet That Frequented China—MV Touska is controlled by sanctioned Iranian company accused of transporting items for potential military use @austinramzy https://t.co/dNGUknky0h https://t.co/dNGUknky0h
Iraq’s SOMO Secures Modest Oil Trucking Contracts
Iraq trucking oil to market. "SOMO awarded contracts to supply about 650,000 metric tons of fuel oil per month from April to June to be trucked overland via Syria." Still modest flows, though—that's only ~150-160 kbpd vs ~3,600 kbpd of pre-war Gulf...
Boeing Exec Discusses Supply Chain, AI, Future Pilot Training
Great to catch up today with @Boeing Global Services Chief (and proud @Aerosociety Fellow) Chris Raymond to talk everythibg fron supply chain crunches, navigating AI hype and next gen pilot training. #avgeek https://t.co/rcOrsIXkz2
IEA and Nigeria Strengthen Ties Amid Global Energy Crisis
Excellent meeting with Nigerian Minister Ekperikpe Ekpo We discussed the international energy crisis & I thanked him for Nigeria's exports of jet fuel to markets facing difficult times & efforts to supply more. We also agreed to take a new step...
Germany's Defense Pivot Too Slow to Offset Auto Losses
interesting, and a good way for the german economy to pivot away from the fait accompli of losing autos to china but my priors are the pivot hasn’t been swift or large enough. a recent FT expose on the dysfunction of...
Space Logistics Is the Next Transport Revolution
Railroads unlocked industrial distribution. Container shipping made global manufacturing viable. Air freight created time-sensitive commerce. Each breakthrough seemed radical, until it didn't. Space-based logistics is next. Here's what it means for you 👇 https://t.co/ejFo8Iq8n9
Trump Says Iran Ceasefire Ends Wednesday, Not Tuesday
IMPORANT: Trump tells @business's @jeffmason1 that the Iran ceasefire expires "Wednesday evening Washington time.” That's a day LATER than the deadline many had assumed (Tuesday evening) since the ceasefire was originally announced as lasting "two weeks..."
US Industrial Surge Reshapes Freight Market Beyond Retail Imports
This is a very different freight market, unlike any that we have ever tracked. The center of the country, led by industrials, are the drivers are freight - not imports for retailers. American industrials are ramping, driven by a mix of...
MDA Space Secures Major Airbus Antenna Order for OneWeb Refresh
.@MDA_space, which supplied 2,000 antenas for @EutelsatGroup 650 Gen 1 OneWeb satellites, has won repeat order from @AirbusSpace for more than 880 Ka-band steerable antennas and 440 Ku-band user replacement antennas as part of 440-sat OneWeb Gen 1 refresh. https://t.co/Qm92DFyItN
Seized Tanker Likely Transported Missile Chemicals, Not Oil
Good chance the tanker fired on and seized by the US was carrying chemicals for missiles and not oil.
CUSMA Dissolution Set for July, Threatens Ontario Jobs
Let's Get Clear On This: As It Stands Today CUSMA Will Begin Its 1 - Year Dissolution Process In July This will cause more unemployment in Canada (Mainly Ontario's) Manufacturing Sector The highest probability is Canadian Governments have totally screwed this up In...
Trump’s Tariffs and Iran War Cripple Non‑China Manufacturers
Trump's foreign policy (tariffs and Iran war) could not have landed at a worse time for industries outside China. Those factories were already facing cheap Chinese goods (because of weak yuan and domestic subsidies), then Trump raised tariffs and energy prices....
Hormuz Strait Unreliable, Threatening 20% Global LNG Supply
IEA'S BIROL: HORMUZ STRAIT LOST ITS STATUS AS RELIABLE About 20% of global LNG supply is locked behind the strait
Populist Pro‑Tariff Rhetoric Fails Against Manufacturing Economics
"These [pro-tariff] arguments carry populist appeal, but they falter when confronted with the economics of manufacturing and the realities of global supply chains."
DoorDash Pays Gig Workers to Train Their Replacement Robots
doordash is paying 8 million gig workers to train the robots that replace them it's pretty insane once you look at the details on march 19, they launched an app called "tasks" it's basically a menu of filming jobs the menu: wash some dishes,...
Samsung Strike Threat Boosts Micron Stock Outlook
Positive call out on $MU Samsung / MU: Quick thoughts on Samsung worker unrest What happened: According to credible reports out of S. Korea, unionized workers of Samsung Electronics are planning to rally outside its manufacturing facilities due to breakdown in wage negotiations....
China Weaponizes Rare‑earth Magnets Amid US‑Japan Tensions
China. Reduces rare earth magnet exports to US and Japan. Why? A topic for Xi-Trump meeting. Counter oil supply drop from Iran? What else may China do?
Precise Mass Production Remains Economically Out of Reach
The world is not ready for “precise mass”. Not on the battlefield and not anywhere else. The cost structure of mass production with the precision/personalization of personal service.
TSMC Controls AI Chip Supply; Packaging Limits Scale
AI Infrastructure Stack (and who’s actually capturing value) Let’s break down the stack 👇 Semiconductor Foundation (Foundries & Equipment) $TSM TSMC Fabricates nearly all advanced AI accelerators globally. 3nm capacity is heavily reserved for AI workloads, while 2nm ramps require new GAA...
Iran Conflict Threatens Airline Jet Fuel Supply
Re-up! #Airlines & the Iran conflict - a perfect storm as carriers face jet fuel squeeze? #avgeek #airlines #StraitofHormuz #Iran #oil https://t.co/VocDTjCLlD https://t.co/wd3hlohdlT
China's Structural Advantage, Not Tactics, Drives US‑China Trade
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. In my latest piece for @FortuneMagazine , I argue that many CEOs and boards are asking the wrong question about the U.S.-China relationship. They are waiting for a "breakthrough" at...