Good morning, folks. The end of the holy month of Ramadan is almost here, and the news cycle has ground to a halt. Still, we have a couple of data center updates from the UAE and Agility Global’s official earnings for FY 2024. But first, the latest US trade actions against China…

HAPPY EID, EVERYONE- Enterprise Logistics will be taking a break for Eid Al Fitr starting Monday, but we will be back in your inbox at our usual time with all the latest regional logistics industry updates on Monday, 7 April.

THE BIG LOGISTICS STORY- Sweeping US export controls target China’s tech industry: Washington has blacklisted 80 entities that it says are providing China’s military with access to US-made ‘dual-use’ tech — those with both military and civil, commercial uses — like advanced AI, quantum and cloud computing tech, according to a statement by the US Commerce Department. The Blacklisted entities will now face restrictions on sourcing goods and services from the US, with stateside exporters barred from selling to them without a license.

Who is blacklisted? The move targets six subsidiaries of Chinese big data and cloud computing giant Inspur Group. The US has also singled out other Chinese companies allegedly involved in developing superconducting tech capable of operating at exascale levels, which can potentially be used in nuclear weapons modelling. Among these are pharma player Henan Dingxin Information Industry, IT solutions firm Nettrix Information Industry and Suma Technology. Over 50 entities are China-based, while the others are located in the UAE, Iran, Pakistan, Taiwan, and South Africa, Reuters reports. The official list will be published tomorrow, 28 March.

China’s response: A statement by the Chinese embassy in Washington slammed the export controls, claiming that the US has exploited “military-related issues as pretexts to politicize, instrumentalize, and weaponize trade and tech issues.”

This story grabbed a lot of ink in int’l press: Reuters | Associated Press | Financial Times | New York Times

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Turkish electricity exports to Iraq could be held-up awaiting approvals: The increase in Turkish electricity exports to Iraq likely will not take place before next summer, worsening Iraq’s electricity shortage anxiety after the US revoked a waiver allowing the country to import Iranian electricity, Attaqa reports. The waiting time would be to allow the European Network of Electricity Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E) time to review its member Turkey’s request to expand its exports. The process usually takes a few months, ENTSO-E spox told Attaqa..

REMEMBER- Turkey intends to increase electricity exports to Iraq by nearly 300 MW once it receives approval from the ENTSO-E. Following the approval, the capacity of the Iraq-Turkey interconnection line — the Kask-Jazra 400 kv line — will reach 600 MW, bringing the interconnection capacity between the two countries to 930 MW, Attaqa reports.

#2- Tunisia’s flagship airline Tunisair won’t be privatized, TAP reports, quoting President Kais Saied as saying during a meeting with Tunisair Director-General Halima Khouaja. The remarks come amid a government push to restructure the airline that, which has been struggling with a shrinking fleet, as well as a corruption scandal from 2024, Babnet Tunisie reports.

Tunisia’s plans for the airline: Saied ordered a comprehensive restructuring plan to address the backlog of MRO servicing of airline’s fleet and expanding the Tunis-Carthage International Airport. The president also directed Tunisair to conduct the necessary repairs to the carrier's fleet to be completed and ready for use by the end of this month, Sabah News reports, citing a statement by Transport Minister Rashid Al Amiri. The carrier currently has 10 operational aircraft in its fleet — with four undergoing maintenance and repair services, Sabah News reports

#3- The Egyptian government will announce the revamped export subsidy program within weeks, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly said during his weekly presser yesterday (watch, runtime: 34:39). The new program was finalized this week and will be presented to export councils following the Eid break. “We plan on wrapping up consultations and announcing the program over the two weeks after Eid,” Madbouly said. The three-year program is expected to come into effect with the new fiscal year on 1 July. It is designed to encourage and support local industries, Madbouly said, adding that subsidies will be tied to increases in the local component ratio.

#4- Airlines are booking up carrier repair slots years in advance amid supply chain snares in the availability of crucial parts and servicing, MRO giant Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering (Haeco) CEO Richard Sell told Bloomberg. Airlines want “security of supply” and to “know they’ve got a home for their aircraft” when it needs servicing, Sell added. Haeco was “as full as we can be in almost all our businesses,” he added, forecasting another “significantly” better year ahead for demand for MRO services on as carriers opt to ink 10-year-plus agreements, rather than the industry’s usual three-to-five-year contracts.

MARKET WATCH-

#1- Oil prices inched up again this morning amid reports of tightening supplies driven by US crackdown on Venezuelan and Iranian oil trade, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures increased by USD 0.07 to USD 73.86 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained USD 0.10 to reach USD 69.75 a barrel by 04.06 GMT.

#2- Baltic index dips once again: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index — which tracks rates for the capesize, panamax, and supramax vessel segments — fell 0.5% to 1,634 points on Wednesday. The capesize dipped 1.9% to 2,581 points, while the panamax index gained 2.3% to reach 1,456 points, its highest in five months. The smaller supramax index remains unchanged at 1,014 points.

DATA POINT-

Iran’s exports of non-oil goods to Iraq reached USD 11.2 bn during the 11-month period from 20 March 2024 until 18 February 2025, Tehran Times reports. Iran exports some 2.2k products to Iraq per year valued at USD 12 bn.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE will host the Gulf Ship Finance Forum on Thursday, 10 April in Dubai. The forum will host shipping and finance executives from around the region and the world to host presentations, interviews, and panel discussions on ownership, management, chartering, legal, and trading in shipping.

The UAE will host the CargoIS Forum on Monday, 14 April in Dubai. The event will discuss industry insights and strategies from leading logistics players, including Emirates SkyCargo and Lufthansa Cargo.

The UAE will host the IATA World Cargo Symposium from Tuesday, 15 April to Thursday, 17 April in Dubai. The event will host sessions, specialized streams, workshops, and summits related to technology, security, customs, cargo operations, and sustainability for over 1.4k industry leaders.

Check out our full calendar at the bottom of this email for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events and news triggers.