Risk & Resilience

Risk & Resilience

U.S. Port Volumes Diverge: LA Down 0.3%, LB Up 2%, Oakland Down 9.6%

U.S. port container volumes diverged sharply in August 2026: the Port of Los Angeles declined 0.3% to 955,907 TEUs, Port of Long Beach rose 2% to 919,992 TEUs, and Port of Oakland fell 9.6% to 173,818 TEUs. Despite container imports reaching 2.6 million TEUs—the third-highest monthly total on record—dry van truckload demand failed to follow, constrained by weak consumer confidence and carrier exits. Port congestion intensified, with rail dwell times climbing to 6.75 days and truck dwell holding at 2.95 days. Equipment shortages, tight empty-container return windows, and flooding-related backlogs in China further strained operations. Project44 reported 10% and 30% month-over-month drops in daily truckload shipments near New York–New Jersey and Tacoma, respectively.

2026-09-30

Risk & Resilience

Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory Delivers 468,000 EVs, 95% Local Sourcing

Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory has produced over 4.5 million vehicles since 2019 and delivered nearly 468,000 in the first half of 2026. Approximately 95% of its sourcing is localized in China’s Yangtze River Delta, embedding it deeply in a rare-earth ecosystem where Beijing controls 85% of refining and 90% of magnet production. Though Tesla announced a rare-earth-free motor architecture in 2023, it has not yet been deployed at commercial scale across its fleet. Shanghai supplied over 54% of Tesla’s global output in early 2026, underscoring both its operational dominance and upstream vulnerability.

2026-09-29

Risk & Resilience

Asia Port Disruption Ties Up 3M TEU, Delays Hit 6.8 Days

Typhoon-driven port disruptions across Asia have tied up 3 million teu of container vessel capacity — equivalent to 8.5% of the global fleet — pushing average delays to 6.8 days and schedule reliability below 50% in August. Sea-Intelligence reports a 12.7% two-month decline in reliability, the steepest since tracking began in 2011. With capacity absorption now at 8.5% — far above the pre-pandemic average of 2.2% — recovery is projected to take seven to ten months to reach the June 2025 low point, and full resolution is unlikely before the Chinese New Year peak in 2027.

2026-09-29

Risk & Resilience

Mexico Customs Proposal Raises Border Delays, Cargo Seizures

A new Mexican customs proposal set to take effect on January 15, 2027, mandates 72-hour electronic pre-clearance submissions and expands X-ray scanning at 12 major land ports. During an August 2026 trial, cargo seizures rose 27% across five northern customs offices, with one carrier reporting $48,000 in losses. Average trailer dwell times increased by 3.2 hours, prompting warnings from San Diego-based brokers about perishable shipments through Nogales and El Paso. SAT has scheduled mandatory compliance training across 24 Mexican states in Q4 2026.

2026-09-28

Risk & Resilience

Dubai Customs extends duty suspension to 180 days

Dubai Customs has extended customs duty suspensions by 60 days — increasing the total allowable suspension period from 120 days to 180 days. The change, formalized in Customs Declaration No. 17/2026 on September 23, 2026, applies to imports for re-export, temporary entry, and transit operations whose original suspensions expire between February 27, 2026 and October 31, 2026. The extension takes effect upon expiration of the initial suspension period. Dubai Customs retains authority to issue further extensions under its established regulations. The measure targets financial and administrative relief while maintaining trade continuity and strengthening supply chain resilience.

2026-09-28

Risk & Resilience

Freight Brokers Face $400K Theft Risk Amid AI Fraud Surge

Freight brokers face escalating risks from AI-powered carrier impersonation, including a $400,000 lobster meat theft targeting Costco. Criminals exploit phishing, typo-squatted domains, compromised emails, and deepfake voice to divert high-value shipments. Verisk CargoNet’s Q2 cargo theft analysis identifies business email as the primary attack vector. Experts stress continuous verification over one-time onboarding, citing gaps exposed by the Supreme Court’s May 2026 Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II ruling. Platforms like Descartes’ AuditLog and Highway’s AI-driven insurance verification aim to close vulnerabilities, especially for small carriers lacking formal security protocols.

2026-09-27

Risk & Resilience

FBI Memphis Task Force Warns Cyber Schemes Risk $Millions in Freight

The FBI’s Memphis Cargo Theft Task Force, active for nearly two decades, warns that cyber-enabled schemes now threaten millions in freight before shipments even reach docks. Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Baker notes criminals use computer intrusions and social engineering to target high-value goods, with thefts occurring digitally before physical handoffs. Phishing tests show employee click rates can fall from 60% to 2% after training. Federal indictments have targeted nearly $600K in interstate cargo theft tied to Memphis. The task force emphasizes repeated verification across brokers, carriers, and facilities — calling cybersecurity readiness 'several notches' higher than current industry standards.

2026-09-26

Risk & Resilience

H&M Q3 operating profit rises 23% on tariff refunds, margin gains

H&M Group reported a 23% rise in operating profit for Q3 FY2026, driven by one-time tariff refunds and higher margins from cost controls. Net sales fell 4.4% in the first nine months of 2026. The results were released on September 24, 2026. The company attributes the profit gain to discrete, non-recurring factors rather than structural revenue improvement. No revised full-year guidance or executive commentary accompanied the announcement.

2026-09-25

Risk & Resilience

Plastics hit with 50% tariffs in US-Canada trade war

Polyethylene bags and other plastic packaging products face a 50% tariff under Canada’s reciprocal tariffs order, effective September 8, 2026. Additional 15% tariffs apply to molds used in plastic, metal, and rubber manufacturing. Confusion over Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes is widespread, with Rabobank analysts citing significant uncertainty among converters. The measures compound pressures from the war with Iran, making tariffs one of the most pressing issues for plastic packaging producers today.

2026-09-25

Risk & Resilience

India’s Exporters Face Empty Container Shortage at Nhava Sheva Port

Indian exporters face a critical shortage of empty containers at Nhava Sheva Port (JNPA), with 40ft boxes especially scarce. The port handled a record 832,000 teu in August — up 12% month on month and 20% year on year — and exported more containers than it imported, a rare occurrence. August goods exports rose 26.12% year on year. CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd are among carriers affected, while ICEGATE system failures have halted cargo clearances. Stakeholders cite vessel schedule disruption and surging US-bound exports as root causes.

2026-09-25

Risk & Resilience

Saudi PIF launches Tawrid supply chain finance platform

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has launched Tawrid Company for Financing Solutions, a digital supply chain finance platform authorized by the Saudi Central Bank. Tawrid operates in Sama’s regulatory sandbox and has signed binding agreements with Gulf International Bank, Saudi National Bank, Banque Saudi Fransi, ROSHN Group, and Nesma & Partners. The platform offers early invoice settlement, targeting SMEs to improve liquidity. Its launch supports PIF’s 2026–2030 strategy and follows Sama’s August 26 public consultation on supply chain finance rules, with a 30-day comment period.

2026-09-24

Risk & Resilience

US Imposes New Tariffs on Chinese CGI Brake Drums, Citing Circumvention

Event: Certain Brake Drums From the People’s Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Circumvention of the Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty Orders Authority: Federal Register (US) Published: 2026-09-22 Reference: 2026-19372 Source tier: Official publication Original: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/22/2026-19372/certain-brake-drums-from-the-peoples-republic-of-china-preliminary-affirmative-determination-of US Imposes New Tariffs on Chinese CGI Brake Drums, Citing Circumvention Key Points The U.S. Department of Commerce […]

2026-09-23