By Léon Levinas-Ménard
1. MISUMI ACQUIRES AI-DRIVEN SUPPLY CHAIN PLATFORM FICTIV FOR 350M USD
MISUMI Group, a Japanese industrial components supplier, announced it is acquiring San Francisco-based Fictiv in an all-cash deal worth 350M USD. The move will integrate Fictiv’s AI-powered manufacturing network and workflow software with MISUMI’s global footprint, expanding the company’s digital services and customer base.
Source: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fictiv-acquired-for-350m-by-japanese-components-supplier
2. U.S. AND UKRAINE SIGN CRITICAL MINERALS ACCESS DEAL
The United States and Ukraine have struck a landmark agreement granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical mineral resources, including rare earth elements, oil and natural gas. Under the new United States–Ukraine Reinvestment Fund, profits from any joint mining investments will be reinvested into Ukraine’s reconstruction, ensuring Ukraine retains ownership of its resources while securing long-term U.S. support amid the ongoing conflict.
3. TARIFFS LEAVE AUTOMAKERS FACING UP TO 2,000–12,000 USD EXTRA COST PER VEHICLE
A new analysis found U.S. automakers could still see 2,000 USD to 12,000 USD in added cost per vehicle from tariffs on parts and imports, despite a recent White House move to ease these levies. Imported luxury SUVs and EVs from Europe and Asia face the high end of that range, whereas U.S.-assembled cars see about 2,000–3,000 USD in added costs. General Motors said it expects up to a 5 billion USD hit from the tariffs, reflecting the continuing strain on automotive supply chains.
4. UPS TO CUT 20,000 JOBS AND CLOSE 73 FACILITIES AMID AMAZON VOLUME PULLBACK
Logistics giant UPS announced plans to eliminate roughly 20,000 positions across the U.S. in 2025 and shut down 73 sorting facilities as part of a major network overhaul. In its Q1 earnings, UPS unveiled a Network Reconfiguration strategy to slash about half of its shipping volume from Amazon’s warehouses—focusing on more profitable shipments—and expects to save 3.5 billion USD this year through these consolidation efforts.
5. APPLE SHIFTS SUPPLY CHAIN, TO SOURCE 19 BILLION CHIPS FROM U.S. FACTORIES
Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that in 2025 the company will source over 19 billion semiconductor chips from manufacturing plants across a dozen U.S. states, including tens of millions from TSMC’s new Arizona facility. This is part of Apple’s broader supply chain realignment—the tech giant is also moving much of its device assembly to India and Vietnam—to reduce reliance on China and to mitigate the impact of new U.S. tariffs on imported electronics.
Source: https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/02/apple_q2_2025/
