This Week in Supply Chain Now: May 26th – 29th

Today, podcasts rival streaming television programming in terms of the number and variety of offerings. Perhaps that’s because podcasts are the ideal vehicle for businesses to deliver thought leadership and expand brand visibility. Professionally produced and informative supply chain podcasts provide companies and industry experts a way to engage with targeted audiences and build credibility and trust with customers and business stakeholders. Podcasts Represent a Growing Trend in a Dynamic Media Landscape “Podcasting is no longer a niche medium,” according to Statista, which said nearly 70 million people in the United States listened to podcasts in 2023. The audience for podcasts is expected to continue to grow and is forecast to reach 110 million listeners by 2029. And there’s room for more supply chain-focused businesses to invest in supply chain podcasts to share their messaging and build brand authority. Three Reasons Businesses Invest in Supply Chain Podcasts “Podcasts are often viewed as a relatively easy way for anyone to tell a story. But actually getting an audience for that storytelling is more difficult, and podcast producers use several means to grow and connect with their audiences. Most of the top-ranked podcasts studied are available on four major listing sites –…

An estimated 12% of global trade worth more than $1 trillion traverses the Red Sea each year. When Houthi rebels started attacking commercial vessels in November 2023, ocean carriers began rerouting container ships around Africa’s Cape of Good Horn rather than through the Suez Canal on voyages from Asia to Europe. That greatly increased travel time and costs. As of March of this year, shipping through the Red Sea was still down 70% from before the attacks began, according to The Economist, with many ocean carriers still avoiding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Peninsula. Maritime Industry Caught in the Crosshairs Houthi rebels launched attacks on ships in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The Houthis attacked more than 100 cargo ships between November 2023 and January 2025. The attacks, with missiles and drones, sunk two vessels and killed four sailors. In late October 2024, a headline in gCaptain read, “Red Sea Is Now So Dangerous Even NATO Warships Are Avoiding It.” “The United States Navy continues to send warships through the Red Sea, but its mission to protect merchant ships – Operation Prosperity…