Today's briefing covers retail, ecommerce, sourcing, supply chain, trade, compliance and government developments published on 22 and 23 October 2026 that matter to UK and US businesses. Because yesterday's edition covered 21 and 22 October in depth, this edition includes only stories, data releases and figures that have not appeared before, so some sections are shorter and say so plainly. It is organised as a global backdrop first, then the USA, then the UK, followed by the dates to watch and recommended actions.

Drewry's container index rises 2% to $4,585 per 40ft as Asia to Europe lanes firm. Shanghai to Rotterdam rose 3% to $3,632, Shanghai to Genoa rose 5% to $4,152, Shanghai to Los Angeles rose 2% to $8,007 and Shanghai to New York rose 1% to $10,166. Drewry expects transpacific rates to stay stable next week and Asia to Europe rates to rise slightly. So what: Spot rates are edging up rather than falling, which weakens the case for waiting on peak replenishment bookings and supports locking in contract cover. (DCN)

Oil edges higher on Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia and reports of renewed strikes on Iran. Brent rose 0.6% and WTI 0.8% in overnight trading. The US plans to release $150 million to increase refining capacity, and QatarEnergy is reportedly in advanced talks with Venture Global to buy at least 3 million tonnes of LNG a year. So what: Energy price risk is still skewed upwards, so fuel surcharge assumptions for the fourth quarter and 2027 contracts should not be loosened. (Newsquawk)

Hormuz transits remain a small fraction of normal. IMF PortWatch recorded 4 transits on 18 October against a pre crisis baseline of 85 a day, and 99 vessels visible on AIS were holding position in the Strait and Gulf watch area on the morning of 22 October, with Brent at $111.44. The brief notes that Bloomberg, via gCaptain, reports Middle East oil flows near pre war levels, so transit counts and oil volumes are telling different stories. So what: Shipping risk is elevated even if crude supply is adapting, so war risk premiums and routing contingencies remain live costs on Gulf linked lanes. (Straits Daily Brief)

Asia Pacific flash PMIs diverge: Japan holds growth while Australia slips into contraction. Japan's composite was 52.3, unchanged, with manufacturing at 53.3 against 54.5 expected and services at 52.0. Australia's composite fell to 47.7 from 51.3, with services at 47.8 from 51.9 and manufacturing at 49.7. So what: Uneven regional demand matters for Asia Pacific export volumes and for suppliers planning capacity around consumer goods orders. (Newsquawk)

Albertsons launches a co branded American Express card across its banners. The Albertsons forU American Express Card offers 5% back on online groceries, 3% on in store purchases, fuel and dining, and 1% elsewhere, with no annual fee, across more than 2,200 stores. The details come from a digest summarising the company's 22 October release, which we did not open directly. So what: Loyalty linked payment products are becoming a margin lever for grocers and a way to pull spend towards online grocery. (Retail Around The World)

eBay to cut about 9% of staff and book $130 million to $150 million of restructuring charges. A 22 October SEC filing, as reported, puts the charges mostly in the fourth quarter, with reductions substantially complete by the end of March 2027, and a WARN notice shows 229 roles cut at San Jose. It is the second round this year after about 800 jobs in February. eBay still expects third quarter results to beat guidance, with earnings due on 28 October, after second quarter gross merchandise volume of $22.4 billion, up 15%. The source is a trade blog relaying the filing. So what: Even a marketplace growing at double digits is cutting costs, which signals pressure on platform operating margins and possible changes to seller tools and fees. (Value Added Resource)

Instacart pays $5 million to settle a federal discrimination case. The settlement with the US Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission comprises $4 million in compensation and $1 million in penalties, according to a digest of the 22 October release, which we did not open directly. So what: Retailers that rely on third party delivery platforms should check how those partners screen and hire workers. (Retail Around The World)

US trailer orders surge 385% year on year in September as fleets reopen replacement buying. FTR counted 43,059 net orders, up 78% from August and the highest since December 2022, while ACT Research counted 42,700, up 311%. Class 8 truck orders were mixed, at 21,300 for FTR (up 3%) and 19,172 for ACT (down 7%). Drivers cited include pent up replacement demand, early 2027 order books, expected tariff related price increases and uncertainty over the EPA 2027 emissions rules. So what: Part of the surge is a pull forward ahead of price rises, so treat it as an equipment cycle signal rather than a forecast of freight volumes, and expect trailer capacity to loosen during 2027. (FreightWaves)

UPS automates four more sortation centres before peak and now moves 68.5% of US volume through automated sites. Denver, St Paul, Syracuse and Portland were converted. UPS plans to close 200 manual facilities over five years, has eliminated 30,000 positions and targets about $3 billion of annual savings by 2028, with cost per piece about 28% lower in automated sites. It is hiring 100,000 seasonal workers and expects more than 4 billion RFID enabled packages by the end of 2026. The Portland site was temporarily closed during its retrofit. So what: Automation lowers the carrier's cost to serve, but retrofits carry disruption risk in peak, so shippers should confirm contingency routing with UPS. (FreightWaves)

Hyundai Translead lifts its Illinois investment to $600 million and 3,750 jobs. The increase from more than $450 million and 2,500 jobs adds a third shift worth $150 million and 1,250 jobs across two Will County sites retrofitted from former Caterpillar and Lion Electric facilities. A new training academy at Joliet Junior College will double the college's welding capacity. So what: Domestic trailer capacity is growing, giving fleets a second source of supply as tariff related price increases are expected on imported equipment. (IEN)

No new US retail or supply chain AI announcements could be verified as published on 22 or 23 October beyond Walmart's Agent Gateway, which was covered in the previous edition.

Trump orders trade talks on wind turbine imports under Section 232 but sets no new tariff. The proclamation signed on 22 October says wind turbines and their components threaten national security, citing networked inverters, radar clutter, grid intermittency and import reliance. Commerce and the US Trade Representative must negotiate with partners, with an update due within 180 days, about 20 April 2027, and further measures possible. Existing steel, aluminium and copper tariffs under earlier proclamations still apply. So what: There is no new duty today, but inverter and blade supply chains are on notice, so importers should check metal content and classifications now. (White House; GHY International)

Treasury yields hover near 5% as a Fed official says more rate rises are likely. The 10 year yield was 4.96%, with the 7 and 10 year yields falling below 5.0% on haven demand as rate rise bets unwound. Fed official Waller said further rises are likely needed, though the pace is flexible, and initial jobless claims remain near 200,000. So what: Borrowing costs for inventory and capital spending stay high, which supports cautious buying and tighter working capital plans. (Newsquawk)

Canada's chief trade negotiator says to expect no return to tariff free trade with the US. The comment was reported in Friday's market wrap and follows Canada's support package for tariff hit industries covered in the previous edition. So what: Cross border sourcing plans should assume persistent tariffs rather than a near term rollback. (Newsquawk)

UK consumer confidence plunges 11 points to minus 24, the biggest one month fall since April 2020. The reading was below every forecast in a Reuters poll and well below September's minus 13, the highest since August 2024. The major purchase index fell to its lowest in more than two years and inflation expectations rose to their highest since April. Fieldwork covered 2,003 adults between 1 and 14 October, and GfK's Neil Bellamy called the speed of deterioration "alarming". So what: Discretionary and big ticket categories face the sharpest risk into Christmas, so open to buy and promotional plans should be tested against weaker demand. (Reuters via Global Banking and Finance)

UK retail sales fall 0.4% in September against a forecast fall of 0.1%. The figure was released on 23 October and follows a 0.5% rise in August and a 0.9% rise in the three months to August. We could verify only the headline figure, so online, fuel and category detail is not yet confirmed. So what: Together with the confidence slump, the volume data suggests the August rebound did not hold, raising the risk of heavier discounting in the fourth quarter. (FXStreet; ONS)

No new UK ecommerce updates could be verified as published on 22 or 23 October beyond those covered in the previous edition.

No new UK specific supply chain updates could be verified for 22 or 23 October. The Drewry container index and Hormuz items in the world section are the main logistics signals for UK importers today.

No new UK sourcing or manufacturing updates could be verified as published on 22 or 23 October beyond those covered in the previous edition.

No new UK retail AI deployments could be verified as published on 22 or 23 October.

Bel UK, owner of Boursin, calls for a rethink of healthy food rules as 62% of shoppers question labels. This is taken from Grocery Gazette's 22 October headline and summary only. We did not open the full article, so the survey detail is unverified. So what: Health labelling rules remain a live compliance and reformulation issue for branded and own label suppliers. (Grocery Gazette)