Daily Supply Chain Brief — August 16, 2026

Capacity discipline held the line across ocean freight as the week closed, and fresh capital kept flowing into gateway infrastructure from Shenzhen to Phnom Penh. Automation demand broadened again. And Brussels flipped the switch on packaging rules that retailers will feel for years. Here is what moved.

Operations & 3PL

Kuehne+Nagel is building a new Container Freight Station in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The site runs past 20,000 square metres and is due for completion in June 2027, adding consolidation capacity in a fast-growing Southeast Asian corridor. Source: Container News

DHL Express has wrapped a $204 million expansion of its Shenzhen gateway, its largest single investment in mainland China to date. The bigger hub is built for cross-border e-commerce and express volumes moving out of the Greater Bay Area. Source: Logistics Management

Acertus has acquired Fisher Shipping, folding the operator into its finished-vehicle transport network. The deal widens Acertus coverage in a niche where carrier capacity stays tight. Source: American Shipper

Walmart is weighing a 1.5 million-square-foot distribution centre at Wallkill, New York. Plans point to roughly 1,050 truck spaces and about 1,500 jobs, a signal the retailer still sees room to densify its Northeast network. Source: Supply Chain 24/7

Technology & Automation

North American companies ordered 8,940 robots in the second quarter, worth $622 million. Units rose 4.3% year on year as demand spread beyond automotive into food, consumer goods and warehousing. Source: SCQ

Acepillar, a Qisda unit, is pushing its industrial PC and motion-control tech into humanoid robotics for European and US supply chains. The move follows a shift toward high-compute, low-latency control on the plant floor. Source: DIGITIMES

NFI is putting AI to work across its transportation management stack rather than treating it as a bolt-on. The 3PL is threading machine learning into planning, execution and visibility layers to squeeze cost out of freight. Source: American Shipper

US regulators moved to block certain foreign-made robotics on national-security grounds, a decision that could ripple into warehouse automation roadmaps. Buyers may need to rethink sourcing for AGVs and robotic cells. Source: Logistics Manager

Sustainability & Energy

The European Union’s sustainable packaging rules are now live. Retail businesses must cut unnecessary packaging and shift to recyclable formats, a change that reaches deep into how goods are picked, packed and shipped. Source: SCQ

Sustainability targets should shape warehouse automation strategy from the start, not get bolted on afterward, according to a new analysis. Energy draw, equipment lifecycle and building design all belong in the same business case. Source: SupplyChainBrain

Clorox expects its ERP overhaul to deliver supply chain gains this year through sharper planning, leaner inventory and more automation. The consumer-goods maker is betting the transition pays back in service and working capital. Source: Supply Chain Dive

International Markets

DP World posted first-half revenue of $12.7 billion, up 13.1% year on year. Management credited the breadth of its port and logistics network for absorbing heavy trade disruption. Source: Hellenic Shipping

Drewry’s World Container Index rose for a second straight week. Firmer transpacific rates outweighed softer Asia-Europe pricing as carriers kept a tight grip on capacity. Source: gCaptain

Port congestion has become a structural feature of global trade, not a passing shock, Maersk chief executive Vincent Clerc argued. He framed inland and terminal throughput as the real ceiling on industry growth. Source: JOC

Kroger named Nate Faust chief e-commerce officer, handing a seasoned digital-retail operator the keys to its online push. The appointment underscores how central fulfilment has become to grocery strategy. Source: American Shipper

Updated daily — your morning briefing on global supply chain.