Morning Minute | October 14, 2025

U.S. rail traffic increased for a second consecutive week for the period ending Oct. 4, 2025, with overall volume up 3.6%. North American rail volume also saw gains, rising 4.7% for the week, notably boosted by substantial weekly growth in Mexican rail traffic, which saw intermodal units jump 82.9%. Trade volatility means tariffs are serving as the "Tariffs are the wake-up call supply chains needed” for innovation, compelling savvy leaders to utilize AI to transform resource-intensive procurement tasks. Platforms like Arkestro, which uses behavioral science and AI, are now being adopted by Fortune 500 companies to move from reactive compliance to predictive strategies that can cut 60% to 90% of sourcing time while improving pricing accuracy. We also cover escalating global tensions as the U.S. administration vehemently rejects the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework. Calling the NZF a "European-led neocolonial export," the U.S. warned nations that voting for the mandatory GHG limits and emissions pricing system could lead to severe retaliatory measures, including blocking vessels from U.S. ports and imposing additional port fees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices