Your bi-monthly caffeinated sip-size Supply Chain news about schedule slip-ups, tariff traps, and freight finance fixes.
Published: June 24, 2025
Topics: Freight reliability, Middle East conflict, transshipment tariffs, textile risk, export audits
🚢 Ocean Reliability Drops Again
Shippers Must Plan for Persistent Delays
Schedule reliability for ocean carriers fell below 60% in April, according to Kuehne + Nagel. New carbon limits, global port congestion (Singapore, Manzanillo, Panama), and slower speeds (just 14 knots) are driving missed berths and higher costs.
📌 Why it matters: Importers using transshipment ports may see even more delays and higher handling fees.
👉 Check if your routing relies on feeder ports.
🔎 Full article – Journal of Commerce
🌍 Hormuz Disruptions Deepen
Insurance Rates Spike, Fleets Reroute Around Africa
Following Israeli airstrikes on Iran, Gulf shipping routes are under pressure. UKMTO reports rising war-risk surcharges. Carriers are rerouting around Africa, cutting effective capacity and delaying everything from oil to pharma APIs.
📌 Why it matters: Rerouting adds 7–10 days and inflates landed costs for energy-sensitive products.
👉 Audit your Q3 shipping plans, especially for chemicals, pharma, and packaging.
🔎 Sources: CNBC | PYMNTS | FreightWaves | DW
🇮🇳 Polyester Bottlenecks in India
Textile Raw Materials Delayed
India’s polyester and viscose supply chains are being squeezed as Gulf feedstock shipments face delays linked to Middle East conflict. Expect price pressure on finished apparel and packaging products.
📌 Why it matters: If you're sourcing textiles or plastic components from India, delays may ripple into your Q4 timelines.
👉 Secure alternate vendor capacity before lead times stretch.
🌧️ Europe Congestion Signals Trouble for Exporters
Antwerp-Bruges: Disruptions for Months to Come
Port yards across North Europe are at or near full capacity, with carriers reporting 2–3 day berthing delays and truck slots booked solid, according to JOC reporting from CHAINge Europe. Labor strikes, Rhine river low water, and higher volumes from Asia are all colliding to create a difficult export environment.
📌 Why it matters: U.S. exporters relying on North Europe transshipment or delivery should plan around ongoing congestion.
👉 Use freight intelligence to monitor port congestion and audit invoices for excess waiting time fees.
🔎 See full update – Journal of Commerce
📦 Transshipment Tariff Trap?
Importers Hit by Surprise 10% Duty
Even if goods departed before the April 5 tariff deadline, U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) ruled that if the final leg of the journey started later, like via Shanghai, tariffs still apply. (Yikes)
📌 Why it matters: The guidance came six weeks after Trump’s executive order, catching importers off guard.
👉 Double-check your entries for transshipped cargo and budget for corrections.
🔎 Full story – Journal of Commerce
⚖️ Global Trade Tensions Rise
Retaliatory Moves Against U.S. Tariffs
The Trump administration’s tariff order triggered swift backlash:
- 🇨🇦 Canada may impose new steel/aluminum tariffs
- 🇪🇺 EU threatens 25% tariffs on U.S. whiskey and soy
- 🇬🇧 UK trade talks diverging
📌 Why it matters: Global commodity costs are entering a new wave of volatility.
👉 Review your landed cost models for tariff-sensitive SKUs.
🔎 Sources: FreightWaves | Yahoo Finance
📉 Spot Rates Whiplash
Too Many Loaders, Too Few Orders
Rates spiked to $7,000/FEU this spring, only to crash under $3,000 by mid-June as over 25 supplemental loaders flooded the Transpacific.
East Coast held longer than West, but both cracked. July could see a pricing plateau... unless the Red Sea heats up again.
📌 Why it matters: If your contracts were FAK-heavy, you likely paid premium... just as rates collapsed.
👉 Time for a post-spike audit? Catch misaligned costs before Q3 closes.
🔎 Source: Jon Monroe Consulting
💻 Visibility Isn’t Digital Enough
Why Most Platforms Still Miss the Mark
Everyone talks about going digital but what does that mean in supply chain reality?
Many companies still operate with data silos, poor integrations, and no stakeholder visibility. As Jon Monroe notes, real digital transformation means real-time collaboration across ERP, vendors, forwarders, and systems, not just dashboards.
📌 Why it matters: Bad data = bad decisions. A pretty interface doesn’t fix broken processes.
👉 Ask yourself: is your visibility solution just a tracker... or a decision enabler?
☕ What’s Brewing at BlueCargo? ☕
We’re Helping Exporters Now Too
Our Export Audit Feature is live... unveiled last week at AgTC by Shane and Colin.
You can now catch billing issues, detention, and contract mismatches on outbound shipments too.
And this week, we're meeting with top importers and suppliers at The Home Depot Foundation event to gain deeper insights into how supply chain teams are adjusting to cost spikes and transit delays.
👉 Check out the Export Audit →
💡 Last Sip: Visibility = Stability
From tariff confusion to Hormuz delays and textile bottlenecks, one thing is clear: reactive freight management is no longer enough.
Smart companies are investing in freight intelligence:
📅 Accurate accruals
🔐 Real-time payment blockers
🔄 Clean, unified freight spend data
👉 Email me and I'll help you find a 15-min audit consultation to see how you compare →
☀️ Summer Edition: Supply Chain Wellness Checklist
Because your freight’s not the only thing under pressure
Before peak season kicks into full gear, a reminder: your well-being is part of the supply chain too. Whether you're managing invoices, transit times, or customer demands, your energy is your most valuable resource.
And that starts at the cellular level.
Here’s your quick wellness checklist for a better-performing body and brain:
- ✅ Hydrate deeply — cellular hydration supports mental clarity & recovery
- ✅ Fuel with real food — not just fuel for trucks, but fuel for mitochondria
- ✅ Move regularly — physical activity triggers circulation, which drives oxygen to your cells
- ✅ Sleep to repair — nighttime is when cellular repair and memory consolidation happen
- ✅ Reduce screen fatigue — less cortisol = better metabolic balance
- ✅ Step outside — sunlight supports circadian rhythm and mitochondrial health
👉 Want to explore more? Try:
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