Weekly wrap-up

Rising jet fuel price puts extra pressure on airfreight sector The rising price of jet fuel this year is further burdening companies with airfreight shipments, and could reduce limited capacity…

Heinz ketchup shortage due to COVID-19 The latest shortage due to the Coronavirus pandemic is ketchup, and it’s hitting America’s most popular brand, Heinz, with shortages at chains like Long…

Blockade in Suez Canal hits global economy The blockade in the Suez Canal, along with other disruptions in global supply chains, is becoming a problem for the global economy, which…

Factory fire adds to computer chip supply crisis One of the car industry’s biggest computer chip suppliers has warned that a major fire at one of its factories in Japan…

Volkswagen to build 6 electric vehicle battery factories in Europe German multinational automotive manufacturing company Volkswagen is planning to become the world’s biggest electric car maker by building six battery…

Moderna and IBM to team up on COVID-19 vaccine tracking Pharmaceutical company Moderna is teaming up with IBM to explore how technology such as AI, blockchain and hybrid cloud could…

$5.6bn green fund to buy liquified natural gas-powered vessels for Japan’s shippers With Japan’s goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the Tokyo-based Anchor Ship Partners will launch an…

Winter storm in Texas causes severe food supply chain disruption Stock at grocery stores were running low as winter storms crippled Texas state and left millions without power, as well…

Brexit causing supply problems for small UK manufacturers New post-Brexit trade restrictions have increased the cost of parts and raw materials for two thirds of small British manufacturers, a survey…

European warehouse demand surges as e-commerce giants Amazon, Alibaba snap up space The Coronavirus pandemic is accelerating the growth of e-commerce, including cross-border online sales between Chinese sellers and European…