| | | | | | Industry News Customs Brokerage News Eastern News
| | | | | | | | | | Strait of Hormuz Disruptions Create Broader Global Supply Chain Pressure | | The Strait of Hormuz crisis is creating supply chain disruption far beyond the Middle East. Airfreight capacity is tightening as major Gulf cargo hubs face disruption, causing rerouting, longer transit times, and higher fuel-driven costs. Ocean carriers continue avoiding high-risk areas, while Red Sea instability limits efficient Suez Canal use, forcing longer voyages that reduce available vessel capacity and create equipment shortages.
The disruption is now spreading across global trade lanes. Cargo is shifting to alternative hubs like Jeddah, Khor Fakkan, Sohar, and Dammam, creating increased inland capacity pressure due to increased trucking routes across Saudi Arabia and Oman. More shippers are also rerouting through the Panama Canal, increasing competition for transit slots, driving up canal transit costs, and creating additional delay risk for vessels without reservations. At the same time, if carriers begin selectively returning to the Suez Canal, capacity could shift quickly, creating sudden freight rate swings and network changes. The result is tighter capacity, less reliable schedules, and rising cost pressure across Asia, Europe, and North America. | | | | | | | | U.S. House Advances Federal Cargo Theft Crackdown with CORCA Passage | | The U.S. House passed the bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA), advancing a stronger federal response to the growing cargo theft crisis. The trucking industry estimates cargo theft now costs more than $18 million per day, driven by increasingly sophisticated schemes involving fraud, identity theft, and falsified shipping documentation, many tied to organized international criminal networks. If enacted, CORCA will strengthen enforcement tools, improve coordination between federal, state, and local agencies, and place the Department of Homeland Security in charge of leading a unified national response to cargo theft. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. | | | | | | | | Canada Expands Tariff Support Programs for Affected Industries | | On May 4, 2026, the Government of Canada announced C$1.5 billion in additional support for industries impacted by U.S. tariffs, including a new C$1 billion Business Development Bank of Canada financing program for manufacturers and exporters that use steel, aluminum, or copper significantly in production, along with C$500 million in added funding for the Regional Tariff Response Initiative to support tariff-affected businesses across sectors. The announcement follows the U.S. April 6 tariff adjustment applying a 25% duty on the full value of certain products containing steel, aluminum, and copper. Canada also reaffirmed existing trade response actions, including 25% retaliatory tariffs on C$12.6 billion in U.S. steel imports and C$3 billion in aluminum imports, a C$5 billion Strategic Response Fund, temporary freight relief for steel and lumber, and tariff rate quotas with 50% over-quota duties on certain foreign steel imports. | | | | | | | | | | | | Section 122 Tariffs Remain in Effect Pending Federal Appeal Review | | On May 7, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that the 10% Section 122 import tariffs were unlawfully imposed, finding the administration did not meet the legal standard required under the Trade Act of 1974. However, the ruling applied only to the named plaintiffs—The State of Washington (as an importer), Burlap and Barrel, Inc., and Basic Fun, Inc.—while the tariffs remained in effect for all other importers. On May 12, the U.S. Court of Appeals temporarily stayed that ruling while it reviews the government’s appeal, keeping the Section 122 tariffs in place pending further court action and CBP guidance.
| | | | | | | | Canadian Exporters May Be Eligible for Refunds on Certain U.S. Tariff Assessments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Eastern Racing Finishes Strong at Concours Cup Season 3 Finale | | The Concours Cup wrapped up its exciting Season 3 championship at The Concours Club in Miami, Florida, with the seventh and final round taking place on April 18, 2026. Known as a premier private motorsport destination, The Concours Club combines a world-class driving circuit with a unique automotive lifestyle experience, attracting passionate competitors season after season. Eastern Shipping Worldwide President and Eastern Racing driver, Eric Wagner, a competitor since the series’ inaugural season, finished third in the AM Championship standings after competing in all seven rounds, closing out another strong season of competitive racing. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Our mailing address is: One Pierce Place, Suite 460 E, Itasca, IL 60143
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