[#288] Supply Chain in Numbers - June 2, 2025
HK to US air cargo at $4.50per kg, WiseTech acquires E2Open for $2.1B, AutoStore's 300th installation in the US, Largest ocean car carrier with 7k cars, Rivian's 1.2m sqft supplier park
Welcome to “Supply Chain in Numbers.” This newsletter tracks significant numbers from the supply chain world. Five prominent numbers are published every Monday. If you have any feedback, please send it to me.
$0.40 increase reaching $4.50 per kg
Spot rates out of Hong Kong to the US have been on the rise this week after dropping at the start of the month due to Washington imposing duties on the import of e-commerce goods. Sources indicate that spot prices from Hong Kong to the US have increased by more than $0.40 cents since the start of the week to above $4.50 per kg. Since the start of May, carriers have removed freighter capacity from the transpacific trade to better match supply and demand. This could mean pressure is also coming on the supply side. [Air Cargo News]
$2.1 billion acquisition
Australian shipping software company WiseTech Global Ltd. made its biggest ever acquisition, agreeing to buy E2open Parent Holdings Inc. in a deal that values the U.S. firm at $2.1 billion. WiseTech creates software that helps companies from shippers to logistics companies plan and manage the flow of goods around the world, from tracking containers to dealing with customs. Buying E2Open will give WiseTech the ability to connect every step of the supply chain process, from order to fulfillment. E2open employs some 4,000 people, and had revenue of $608 million in the fiscal year ended February. [TT News]
300 AutoStore installations
Global order fulfillment technology company AutoStore announced it has surpassed 300 installations across North America. The 300th system, located at Medline’s new site installation in Aurora, Colo., represents a full-circle moment for AutoStore. Medline was AutoStore’s very first North American customer. Today, Medline operates over 20 AutoStore systems across the U.S., deploying 1,900 robots to support high-throughput fulfillment and enable next-day delivery to 95% of its customers in the United States. Across North America, AutoStore’s 300 installations now move millions of products daily, with more than 21,000 robots in operation. [Robotics 24x7]
7,000 China-made cars
China has delivered the world’s largest ocean-going car carrier, which set sail from Shanghai on May 22 loaded with approximately 7,000 China-made vehicles, mostly new energy cars, heading to Europe. The vessel, Anji Ansheng, was built by SAIC Anji Logistics Ltd, a subsidiary of SAIC Motor Corporation. It measures 228 meters in length and 37.8 meters in width, and can carry up to 9,500 standard vehicles, the highest capacity of any car carrier globally. The company plans to put seven more super-large car carriers into operation soon, aiming to cover more than 100 destinations worldwide, including Western Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Mexico. [Marine Insights]
$120 million for a 1.2 million sqft supplier park
Rivian Automotive Inc. is investing $120 million in a new supplier park in Illinois on top of its already announced $1.5 biillion investment in the state. The 1.2 million-square-foot park in Normal will allow the electric-vehicle maker to increase production at its plant in 2026, when it starts building its R2 model. Rivian last year paused plans on a new Georgia facility, shifting planned production of its upcoming R2 vehicle to Illinois, a move the company said it would get the SUV to market faster and save more than $2.25 billion. Rivian will get $16 million in state incentives for the supplier park, which includes a $5 million tax benefit over 20 years, as well as a capital grant. [Bloomberg]