China-Bound Soybean Inspections Top at 12.7M Bu
Export inspections in the week ending April 9 for shipment to China specifically (mln bu): #corn 0.0, grain sorghum 8.0, #soybeans 12.7, #wheat 0.0 #oatt
Fewer Direct Container Routes, Hubs Boost Carriers, Frustrate Shippers
Container shipping. There became fewer container lines. While they shifted to transshipment hubs--borrowing from airlines on reducing direct flights. Carrier benefits vs customer frustration.
Strait Blockage Guarantees Oil Halt, Worsening Ahead
Whether it's the US or Iran, blocking the Strait still means no oil, writes. Expect things to get worse before they get better: https://t.co/CB5YXrF87b
US Builds First Aluminum Smelter in 50 Years
We are building the first aluminum smelter in the US in over 50 years and you are bearish re-industrialization? The combination of tariffs (Trump), incentives (Biden), and fragile supply chains (China) made it worthwhile. https://t.co/3E0BDNJxHq
Memory Shortage Pushes Supply Normalization to 2027
Summary of key points from a memory tracker I'm running weekly: Supply normalization now looks pushed to late 2027. New capacity is delayed, DRAM bit supply growth is only ~16% YoY, and that is still below historical norms. Demand Destruction: Memory inflation...
Blocking Iranian Ships Near Hormuz Raises Stakes
Boarding seven Venezuelan oil tankers over the course of several weeks is one thing, blockading Iranian-linked ships near Hormuz is an entirely different ballgame. We’ll see how it works out
Hormuz Blockage Fuels Fertilizer Crisis; Policy Aid Needed
Ships still aren’t moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Fertilizer delays are forcing farmers to pay more or cut use. They need timebound, targeted help. With right policy and diplomacy, nations can still avert a global food crisis. Watch our...
Russia Urges BRICS Food Reserves to Offset Middle East Crisis
Russia calls for joint food reserves with BRICS to counter Middle East crisis risks https://t.co/g3JsxUHPEN
Hormuz Crisis Triggers Localized, Bumpy Demand Destruction
Normally I talk about the two main types of demand destruction: Price elasticity (i.e., gasoline is really expensive so I'll drive less or buy an EV) vs Income elasticity (high oil prompted a financial crisis and I lost my job) But given how...
Ford Stays Local because Community Math Matters
People ask why @Ford fights so hard to keep assembly here when our competitors profited by moving production offshore. It’s because we understand the math of a community. My op-ed today on @Ford’s commitment to America: https://t.co/GCBzRn1QqH
US‑Australia Invest $
Australia and US boost support for critical minerals with $3.5 billion Not clear where processing will be done, or where mine to magnet chain happens.... https://t.co/OpCtNNHYup
Iran Faces Imminent Well Shutdowns, Negotiations Uncertain
Looking at the limited empty oil tankers inside the Persian Gulf, plus Tehran’s onshore storage, Iran will need to shut in wells in 10-15 days (the same process its neighbours faced 5-6 weeks ago). Would that prompt Iran to change...
Distribution Firms Evolve Into Tech Startups Amid Shifting 3PL Search
On the Does Logistics Matter? podcast, Ryan from @Warematch shares how a distribution company accidentally became a tech startup,and why the way buyers search for 3PL partners is changing faster than most of the industry realises. #logistics #podcast 🎧 https://t.co/VRCyCBQ7lz
Oil Shortage Pushed Japan Toward Dutch East Indies Invasion
“…if we cut off Japanese supplies of oil…and she cannot obtain sufficient oil from other commercial sources to ensure her national security, she will probably send her fleet down to take the Dutch East Indies.” - Ambassador Joseph C. Grew, May...
US Navy to Seal Iranian Ports at 10 Am ET
JUST IN: US military to block ships entering and exiting Iranian ports starting 10am ET
Sanctioned Tanker Data May Be Inaccurate, Map Shows
Passed This is a sanctioned tanker... The info transmitted by the tanker may not be accurate. Map from @Kpler https://t.co/crHLlPZIwD
Australia Faces Diesel Shortage After Hormuz Crisis
Australia is uniquely vulnerable to disruptions in diesel supply,leading to a real diesel Armada heading there in the wake of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. Chartbook Top Links of the day just dropped: https://t.co/phVWZTM4Em
China Demands Free Strait Navigation Despite Allied Blockade
China wants “unobstructed navigation” thru the Strait. There are two parties blocking Hormuz. China is an ally of one of them.
China, Iran Weaponize Economy, Outmaneuver U.S. Sanctions
China, Iran weaponized the global economy to beat the U.S. at its own game US...expanded export controls to cover an estimated 20,000 Chinese companies, and tightened controls over advanced chipmaking equipment and jet engines to China. Yes, that is economic coercion. https://t.co/Kd7ckEDhaE
Saudi Crude Shipments to China to Halve Amid War
Saudi Arabia’s crude sales to top importer China are set to halve next month as the war in the Middle East upends flows and lifts prices, according to traders familiar with the matter https://t.co/P8mgp5is3N
Taiwan Drills to Secure Supplies Against Potential Chinese Blockade
Taiwan will conduct new drills in coming weeks to ensure the island has access to critical supplies in the event of a Chinese blockade, a risk demonstrated by Iran’s closure of a global energy chokepoint https://t.co/lSVXsGM3NB
Key Criteria for Legal Blockades: Newport Manual Highlights
As we get ready to talk BLOCKADES this morning, everyone needs to dust off their copy of the Newport Manual on the Law of Naval Warfare. Specifically, Chapter 7.4. 1️⃣Notification 2️⃣Effectiveness 3️⃣Impartiability 4️⃣Humanitarian Requirements 5️⃣Access to Neutral Coast https://t.co/Bsx5bUr8JY
90% of 2025 Tariffs Shift to U.S. Importers
New @nberpubs: "Tariffs in 2025: Short-Run Impacts on the U.S. Economy" https://t.co/Du7yk49H5l "90% of the tariffs are passed through to tariff-inclusive prices paid by U.S. importers" https://t.co/kMhPTPkojL
AI Product Imports Surge 73% as Tariffs Stay Low
New @nberpubs: "Trade in AI-Related Products" https://t.co/HKvnAGrO6D "imports of these products have grown by 73 percent since 2023... Trade policy has treated these products lightly with product-level exemptions shielding much of AI-related imports from tariffs." https://t.co/HNy3aXAeMU
Extreme Fear Fades as Markets Weather Hormuz Tension
Trump ordered a full naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz overnight. Oil surged 8% above $100. The UK refused to participate. France is forming its own mission to reopen the strait. And Bitcoin dropped... 1%. After 12 straight days...
Iran Conflict Triggers Oil Shortage, Reshapes Market Winners
The Iran war has slashed oil exports from the Persian Gulf, creating a global supply shortage that's just starting to hit markets. As prices are driven up and broader economic impacts unfold, winners and losers will begin to emerge. Full Newsletter:...
Iran's 13-Day Oil Shutdown Signals Permanent Damage
The sharpest Iran economic analysis out there right now comes from @miadmaleki, Iranian-born former US Treasury official. 13 days. That's when Iran shuts off its own oil wells. Hormuz blockade = nowhere to store oil. Can't restart them easily. Permanent damage. Not a...
US‑Iran Talks Collapse; Blockade Threatens Trump‑Xi Summit
US-Iran negotiations failed over the weekend. The risk-off moves today though have mostly been mild. US blockade of Iranian ports could disrupt next month's Trump-Xi meeting. Bab-el-Mandeb Strait may also be brought into play. See https://t.co/13UStEpBOS https://t.co/1u6Xn5BKh9
EU Customs Code Draft Sparks Timely ICC Belgium Event
Tomorrow @ICCBelgium is hosting "The Future of EU Customs" event in Brussels. Very timely discussion as we now have the first draft of the final text of the new Customs Code and the first changes will be introduced in less...
Satellite Shows Iran Loading Multiple Oil Tankers at Kharg
PHOTO OF THE DAY: Fog of war over Kharg Island (literally). Iran was loading two oil tankers on Saturday (April 11th) as seen on this @CopernicusEU Sentinel 2 🛰️ satellite picture. Another tanker is seen near the jetty, plus another two...
Massive Copper and Uranium Demand Fuels Global Rebuild
Forward Looking - How much copper - uranium? 1. Ukraine / Iran Rebuild 2. US Power Grid Rebuild 3. Nuclear Plants incoming — 100 China + USA 4. 100m Robots 5. India, 1B people no air conditioning 2026 vs. 750m in 2036 6. 800...
Oil Spikes Above $100, Fueling Inflation and Tighter Monetary Policy
💥 OIL JUMPS ABOVE $100 US-Iran talks broke down, so Trump ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz which carries about 20% of the world’s oil. Oil prices shot up fast. Higher oil = higher inflation = tighter money. https://t.co/GRzeLLPize
White House Delays Hormuz Reopening, No Rush
As I was saying weeks ago… the White House is in no rush to reopen Hormuz
Lobito Corridor Accelerates Traceable DRC Copper, Cobalt Exports
EGC and Trafigura shipped copper and cobalt through the Lobito corridor, opening a faster export route for traceable DRC minerals. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/04/lobito-corridor-copper-and-cobalt.html
Tanker Owners Shift Any Crude, Paid for Floating Storage
Thanks exactly right @dlawbailey Tanker owners need to move crude. It doesn't matter if it's US light that's not fit for purpose. They're getting paid. Some if it will be used. The rest is floating storage. https://t.co/IW1YHmy5g5
Middle East War Slashes Asian LNG Deliveries to 2020 Lows
The war in the Middle East is choking LNG supply to Asia 🚢⚠️ Deliveries to Asia fell the the lowest level since 2020, when the Covid pandemic crashed demand Not a single LNG shipment has gone through Hormuz since the war began...
Distance Doesn't Shield Malaysia From Global Input Costs
The Strait of Hormuz is 6,000km from Kuala Lumpur. Your input costs don’t care. Email from The Economist shocked me.
Trump Orders Full Blockade of Iranian Ports, Effective April 13
Blockade 1⃣Strait of Hormuz Week 6 Recap 2⃣President Trump Orders a Total Blockade 3⃣CENTCOM to Initiate a Blockade or Iranian ports at 10 AM on April 13 (US Eastern Time) https://t.co/y9KYk0W1G4
Assessing the Viability of Trump's Hormuz Blockade
Will Trump’s Naval Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz Work? | John Mearshe... https://t.co/ek4n8ym3hT via @YouTube
Trump's Hormuz Policy Reversal Fuels Oil Market Volatility
JUST IN: Trump's policy flip from freeing the Strait of Hormuz to blocking it is stirring oil market volatility.
Iran Holds Untapped Leverage Against US Maritime Blockade
JUST IN: Iran's official warns Tehran has untapped leverage to counter the US maritime blockade.
US Navy to Block Iranian Port Shipping After Failed Talks
US Military To Block Ships From Iranian Ports After Talks Yield No Agreement. Was it naive to think a deal would be reached in one negotiation meeting? https://t.co/5WmWdmbEpQ
FMCSA Funding Halved as Carrier Numbers Surge 60%
The FMCSA is criminally underfunded. Funding to investigate carriers has dropped 40% over the past 15 years, yet the number of motor carriers is up 60%. The ATA sold the public on a truck driver shortage that never existed, while their...
Chameleon Carrier Fraud: Trucking’s Biggest Unseen Threat
I strongly recommend turning into 60 minutes or watching on-demand. Rob Carpenter puts on a masterclass on the Chamelon carrier fraud problem. I’d like to suggest that is the only major issue trucking has, but it’s just scratching the surface.
US Hormuz Blockade Sparks Surge in Oil, Gas Prices
US military says it’ll begin a Hormuz blockade at 10am ET Monday. Oil prices +8%, NatGas +13% early Monday in Asia. Also, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz shows the “highest” volumes since the war began (“highest” is of course...
Trump Mirrors Iran, Blocks Strait of Hormuz
Trump has been complaining about the Iranians shutting down the Strait of Hormuz. Now, he has taken a page from the Iranian's playbook and is shutting down the Strait. TRUMP = A LOSER = CAN'T MAKE UP HIS MIND. https://t.co/aLGX482gLt
US only Restricts Iranian‑origin Cargo, Not Whole Strait
So the US isn't actually blockading the Strait of Hormuz. Just the small fraction of oil and other cargo that comes from Iranian ports. https://t.co/uWubDRslxe
Hormuz Closure Threatens Petrodollar for First Time in 50 Years
No deal this weekend. The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed Oil prices are surging again. U.S. about to blockade New @moronomics podcast episode breaks down what this means and why this is the biggest threat to the “petrodollar” in 50 years...
Iran, Houthis Threaten Two Oil Chokepoints, Spiking Prices
Iran to Trump: we’ll see you & raise you Iran has only to have the Houthis disrupt Bab al-Mandab too writes @GMonroyEnergy Two chokepoints, one overstretched navy, and oil spikes hard So much winning #Oil #Hormuz #RedSea https://t.co/bgBh1UdjUZ
Trump Threatens Strait of Hormuz Blockade After Failed Iran Talks
Trump vows to blockade Strait of Hormuz after Iran peace talks yield no agreement https://t.co/SuVjVwOM8K