FedEx Overtakes UPS as Parcel Market Value Leader
There's a new market value champion in parcel logistics. For the first time in over 50 years, @FedEx just passed $UPS as the most valuable company in parcel. The Memphis-based pioneer is now worth over $85 billion. While UPS still retains the lead in other metrics, including profitability and total package volume, FedEx has been growing faster. What is the key driver? Is it FedEx investments in AI, simplification through the freight cargo spinoff, superior labor flexibility (vs union-bound UPS), or is it something else? https://t.co/GH4lTjj4Nw?
Kitchens Sense Crises First; Apps Enable Instant Panic Buying
The kitchen always knows first. Before the oil price dashboards, before the government announcements — the kitchen tells you a war has started. Right now in India: egg prices are dropping because the one crore eggs we sent to the Gulf every...
U.S. Softens Ban on Uyghur Forced‑Labor Goods
“Amid the…turns in the Trump administration’s China trade policy, one feature has attracted little attention: the [U.S.] has apparently eased its efforts to block imports of goods made using the forced labor of China’s Uyghur population.” @economicsnoah https://t.co/C9UGkHv9WW
You Must Choose: Reduce NA Trade or Cut China
“You can have less Mexico and Canada, 👉or you can have less China, 💥but you can’t have both.” ✍️Antonio Ortiz Mena, a former Mexican diplomat and professor at Georgetown University. https://t.co/h15MGpAnEg
Vietnam Faces Flight Cuts After Regional Jet Fuel Bans
Vietnam braces for flight cuts from April after China, Thailand ban jet fuel exports https://t.co/acAdeGg5Sf
Saudi Reroutes Oil via Red Sea Amid Hormuz Closure
♦️Here’s a striking example of how a closure of the Strait of Hormuz can reshape global oil flows—and how Saudi Arabia can rapidly adapt by diverting supplies from its eastern fields to western Red Sea terminals. ♦️A VLCC oil tanker was...
Escorts Aren't a Sideshow; Expertise Matters in Maritime Strategy
“Escorts are a sideshow” 🤡🤡 Now I’ve been critical of our ability to surge enough destroyers to conduct effective convoys…. But “sideshow”?? And what qualifies an energy advisor to understand maritime choke points? 60 Minutes should have called Sal @mercoglianos
US‑Owned, Marshall‑Flagged Bulker Bolts Through Strait
The Star Bulk bulker Star Gwyenth bolted and made the run though the Strait and out. She is Marshall Is-flagged but US owned. https://t.co/2eQ7Lwqh17
US and Chile Launch Talks to Secure Critical Minerals
US-Chile critical minerals talks open to secure copper, lithium, and rare earth supply chains. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/us-chile-critical-minerals-talks-kick.html
CPO Is Inevitable, Not Imminent, Now Echoed by Cisco
Cisco just based their whole presentation on my theme from a year ago that “CPO is inevitable but not imminent” - original article. https://t.co/mQzqMJLylu
Freight Market Stable, Contract Rates Rising, Panic Unfounded
Trucking spot rates are incredibly stable right now. Contract freight rates are still moving up. Tender volumes moving up. Tender rejections stable. The doomsday folks selling panic in freight markets are not looking at the data. https://t.co/R8VVxcYhOv
Carbon Pricing Impact Depends on Supply Chain Coverage
Quick explainer of how the Food Dude's math is wrong (again) today: when you think about the impact of carbon pricing on fuel costs (diesel in this case), what matters is which parts of the supply chain are covered and...
Beyond Skills: Leveraging Competency Drives Procurement Excellence
“Having gr8 technical competency is no longer what distinguishes top-notch #procurement functions from those that are mediocre or run-of-the-mill. How we nurture & leverage that competency across the org. is what truly counts.” https://t.co/s48vDbFr5l #purchasing #supplychain https://t.co/rfZNNW04Dr
Chokepoints: Repeated Disruptions Threaten Global Trade
🚨WHY CHOKEPOINTS ARE IMPORTANT?🚨 Think about the issues we have experienced with maritime chokepoints over the last five years. 2021: Ever Given shut down the Suez Canal for 6 days. 2022: Russia invades Ukraine and disrupts the Turkish Strait. 2023-24: Panama Canal lower water...
Data Drives the Future of Semiconductor Manufacturing
#Technology #Newsletter #Semiconductor #Manufacturing #Data NLOG-295 | Semiconductor And Beyond Newsletter | The Semiconductor Data Supply Chain: https://newsletter.chetanpatil.in/p/semiconductor-and-beyond-newsletter-295/
Urgent Call: Allied Warships Needed in Hormuz
Strait of Hormuz Update 15 March 2026 1⃣ Five Maritime Stories from Around the World 2⃣ Strait of Hormuz/Persian Gulf Update 3⃣ The Call for Allied Warships 4⃣ Minesweepers 5⃣ Historical Parallel to Strait of Hormuz Video: https://t.co/ETPsN2XFIX https://t.co/oOEKhMM28I
Truckers Share Toughest and Easiest Damaged Loads
Truckers: what was the hardest damaged product you’ve gotten stuck with to get rid of? (And what was the easiest) https://t.co/XLr2awqVNu
Global Tensions Trigger Fertilizer Shortage, Food Price Surge
More supply chain extension of Iran war. China halts fertilizer exports. How does Trump’s trade war with Canada and Canadian potash fit here for US farmers? Which can affect the E2E food supply chain. That supply-inflation loop.
U.S. War Deepens Iran's Dictatorship, Raises Gas Prices
He puts his name on everything, so let’s make sure his name is on this, too: —> “Overall, it has not toppled Iran’s dictatorship and might have strengthened it. We helped install a younger supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who may be...
Trucking Volumes Rise, Showing Oil Spikes Aren’t Slowing Economy
No sign that oil spikes are hurting the domestic economy. Trucking volumes continue to accelerate. +8% YoY and has now cleared 2024 comps. Despite the noise, the signal coming from freight is that activity in the domestic goods economy is...
Red Sea Swarms with Tankers as Hormuz Remains Closed
MAP OF THE DAY: While the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed (other than a few tankers, notably from India), the Red Sea is witnessing the arrival of an oil tanker armada to the Saudi terminals there. (Tracking via @TheTerminal) (Blue...
Confectionery Supply Chains Brace for Conflict‑Driven Shortages
Confectionery supply chains are bracing for shortage risk as conflict escalation impacts trade routes, freight and energy - pressuring ingredients + packaging inputs. Actions: rapid risk review, alternate sourcing, stronger visibility. #SupplyChain #Confectionery https://t.co/9CBpZa8x6A
The Strait of Hormuz Remains Insecure Despite Security Claims
Can the Strait of Hormuz really be secured? GeopoliticalGuy | Substack https://open.substack.com/pub/geopoliticalguy/p/can-the-strait-of-hormuz-really-be?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web #Iran #Hormuz #MiddleEast
Shipping Confidence Hinges on Iran Conflict Ending Soon
Ok but the real question is when will shipping feel confident enough to return to normal?
From WWI Convoys to Invisible US Navy in Gulf
🚨Return of the Mayflower🚨 On May 4, 1917, six US destroyers of Destroyer Division Eight under Commander Joseph Taussig arrived in Cobh (today Queenstown), Ireland. The ships were the first of a vanguard of 35 American destroyers that arrived in Europe after...
War on Iran Sparks Unprecedented Supply Chain Uncertainty
The US-Israeli war on Iran, is heavily disrupting fertilizer, aluminum, semiconductor inputs, and other key industrial supplies. Supply chain expert Nick Vyas: “We have created equal if not greater uncertainty than during the pandemic.” TRUMP’S WAR = AFFORDABILITY PROBLEMS. https://t.co/zziB6qAr5L
Two LCS Mine‑Countermeasure Ships Deployed to Malaysia Amid Regional Pullback
So 2 of the 3 Littoral Combat Ships outfitted with the mines countermeasures package is in Malaysia? Not sure about Canberra but this seems like a strange time to pull a major element from the region.
US Oil Exports Could Spark Overwhelming Ban Demand
I’m really concerned that when people take this one step further and learn that the US is actually selling oil to other countries that the public’s demand for an export ban will become overwhelming.
Global Shipping Chaos Raises Costs for Everyone
More than 100 cargo ships are stuck in the Persian Gulf. Nearby ports are packed with redirected cargo. Costs are being driven up globally. NOBODY IS SPARED FROM THE TRUMP- NETANYAHU WAR TAX. https://t.co/EF8fmqKgiV
Alba Cuts 19% Capacity to Safeguard Operations Amid Hormuz Disruption
March 15 (Reuters) - Aluminium Bahrain https://t.co/oYsWepGMNg, known as Alba, said on Sunday it had initiated a shutdown of three aluminium smelting lines accounting for 19% of its capacity to preserve business continuity amid ongoing disruption in the Strait of...
Battery Fires Threaten Fragile Supply Chains, LA Port Chief Warns
Lithium-ion battery blazes imperil fragile supply chains, warns Los Angeles port chief https://t.co/6hprhROZuE via @ft
Fuel Oil Prices Spike, Threatening Container Shipping Costs
COLUMN: While the price of Brent and WTI crudes remain well below their record high, the cost of fuel oil has surged above the 2022 and 2008 peaks. The surge is a big problem for the workhorse of globalisation: the container...
Generative AI Lifts Retail Margins—Buy Walmart
Macro: Generative AI boosts retail margins via supply‑chain automation. Leaders: WMT, TGT. Risk: AI discovery can divert share from opaque retailers. Trade: Buy WMT. 📈 — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA More insights: t.me/si14Kopylov
Insurance Premiums, Not Blockades, Choke the Strait of Hormuz
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝘇 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁. Here's something most supply chain professionals don't fully appreciate — and probably should. Iran doesn't need to physically block the world's most critical oil chokepoint. They just need to...
Midwest Tight, West Coast Weak: Carriers Stay Put
Carriers should stay in the Midwest, where the conditions are extremely tight, while the West Coast remains weak
Hormuz Shipping Halt Threatens Billions; Resume for All
Because some folks seem confused: I think it’s really bad that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is halted, and it would be better for pretty well everyone (except Russia) if traffic resumes It will be utterly miserable for billions of...
Oil Loss Anywhere Sends Prices Soaring Everywhere, U.S. Knows
A barrel of oil lost anywhere is a barrel lost everywhere. It’s a global market and acute scarcity in the Middle East/Asia will inevitably spike prices in North America as markets work to incentivize cargoes to fill the hole. US foreign policy...
Iran Says Hormuz Open, only US/Israeli Ships Barred
"Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday said the Strait of Hormuz is open and that the strategic route is only closed to the US and Israeli vessels" Are ships and tankers moving? If not, then where is the problem? Look...
Tariffs Shift US‑China Trade Balance, Not Global Flow
A case study in how tariffs can change the bilateral trade balance but not the global trade balance -- the US is now importing a ton of computers, but essentially zero of those are registering in customs as Chinese made 1/...
Hormuz Threat Lulls: No New Attacks, Interference Persists
🚨Mar 14 Hormuz Update🚨 1️⃣Confirmed attacks: 20 2️⃣Attacks last 24 hrs:0 3️⃣Passage last 24 hrs: 2 4️⃣Average passage: 138 5️⃣Electronic interference: widespread https://t.co/nQ4ZTet45o
Convoy Escorts Likely Limited to National‑interest Vessels
Let's talk about how this works as it will not be a unified convoy operation, probably. If it is like the Red Sea, then they will escort the ships they have a national interest in, only. https://t.co/FxZMYvlZSu
ATA Claims Driver Shortage Despite Clear Evidence
The ATA will see this and then look you dead in the eye and tell you that there’s a driver shortage https://t.co/X7QcsVTiJ5
Hormuz Blockade Triggers Energy, Shipping, and Food Crises
🚨Strait of Hormuz Disruptions🚨 Implications of Global Trade and Development by @UNCTAD 1️⃣Energy Surge 2️⃣Soaring Shipping Crisis 3️⃣Insurance Spikes 4️⃣Fertilizer & Food Security 5️⃣Insurance Spikes & Higher Borrowing Costs https://t.co/SxnLDTDmwG
Delaware Bay Barge Fire Extinguished, Salvage Operations Begin
The barge fire on Delaware Bay has been extinguished and the scene turned over to the salvors. https://t.co/uqBwjXnG5z
Tiny $22.67
What will it take for a shipowner to run the Strait? $500,000/day charter rate. The crews receive a war risk bonus of 100% their daily rate. The minimum wage for seafarers is $680/month. So the $22.67/day extra is a small drop in the bucket...
Fire Hits UAE Oil Hub as Iran Threatens Retaliation
Fire at UAE's major Fujairah oil hub, as Iran vows retaliation for US attack on Kharg Island https://t.co/5FZnHQsJ4j
Double Standards: Free Trade for Us, Tariffs for Rivals
Free trade for my inputs; tariffs for my competitors. A tale as old as time.
US Lacks Effective Red Sea Escort, Shipping Still Unsafe
Breakdown of @POTUS statement: 1️⃣Allied warships took over the Red Sea after Operation Prosperity Guardian in Yemen. Shipping traffic did not return. 2️⃣If they can still send a drone, mine or missile, than you have not destroyed 100%. While the...
Shipowners Risk Mines and Missiles to Smuggle Oil
Lured by Profits, Some Shipowners Brave Mines and Missiles to Sneak Oil Past Iran https://t.co/rCFiJE3YzS
Only 6% Register, $166B Refunds Unclaimed
The gov't says only 6% of eligible companies have registered their payment details to receive tariff refunds. $166B in refunds at stake. People hate money.