Top Supply Chain Trends & News for May

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May brought with it a slew of new announcements and news related to supply chains, with the ongoing tariff uncertainty taking center stage throughout most of the month. Late last week, a U.S. trade court blocked most of the sweeping tariffs, stating that the president “overstepped his authority by imposing across-the-board duties on imports from U.S. trading departments,” Reuters reports. 

“The Court of International Trade said the U.S. Constitution gives Congress exclusive authority to regulate commerce with other countries that is not overridden by the president’s emergency powers to safeguard the U.S. economy,” it continues. At press time, the president had asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Court to stay the ruling. And so the tariff saga continues, and most assuredly will spill over into the new month (and beyond).

Illinois Welcomes New Rivian Supplier Park

Illinois may soon be a hotbed for new electric vehicle (EV) innovation. In May, Governor JB Pritzker and Rivian announced that the company is constructing a new 1.2 million-sq-ft supplier park in Normal. Rivian will invest nearly $120 million in the project, which will help the company to develop the supplier park and create nearly 100 new direct jobs. 

“This significant investment will pave the way for EV suppliers to locate in the park and create hundreds of new jobs,” the governor’s office said in a press release, “while bolstering the supply chain and manufacturing ecosystem in Illinois.” Construction on the supplier park is underway and is expected to be completed in 2026.

The park will allow the company to co-locate suppliers that produce component parts for Rivian vehicles. Rivian’s investment was supported by a $16 million incentive package, which includes a Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV Illinois) tax incentive valued at $5 million over the course of 20 years.  

“Rivian’s latest investment in Illinois is a clear reflection of the state’s growing leadership in the clean energy economy," DCEO Director Kristin Richards said in the press release. “Illinois is committed to building a sustainable future, supporting innovation, and expanding access to high-quality jobs, especially in the electric vehicle sector.”

Kimberly-Clark’s Domestic Expansion

In another sign of manufacturers bringing processes closer to home, Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced its plans to invest over $2 billion over the next five years in its North America business, marking the company’s largest domestic expansion in more than 30 years.  

This investment will cover a new advanced manufacturing facility in Warren, Oh., along with an expansion of its Beech Island, S.C. site with an automated distribution center (DC). 

“This landmark investment represents a strategic bet on the American consumer and our ability to drive innovation-led sustainable growth for Kimberly-Clark,” said Russ Torres, group president. “It reflects the confidence we have in our long-term growth plans and complements a broad range of commercial and R&D investments we have been making throughout the business as part of our Powering Care transformation journey.”

The new facility in Warren will serve as a hub for the Northeast and Midwest regions. Encompassing over a million square feet, the facility will provide the capacity needed to support future growth for Kimberly-Clark’s personal care categories. In addition, its new DC in Beech Island will leverage advanced robotics, AI-powered logistics systems, and high-density automated storage to improve operational efficiencies and speed to market.

Scaling w

On the transportation and logistics front, Uber Freight just launched the industry’s first scaled artificial intelligence (AI) logistics network. The company’s logistics platform and transportation management system (TMS) include 30 AI agents that automate execution across the shipment lifecycle. 

Trained on real logistics data from nearly $20 billion in freight under management––including 30% of the Fortune 500––Uber Freight’s large language model (LLM) unlocks deep operational context and delivers answers and actionable recommendations.

“This is the inflection point we’ve been building toward,” said Lior Ron, founder and CEO, in a press release. “With the launch of our AI logistics network and reimagined TMS, we’re not just automating tasks—we’re enabling a new level of agility, foresight, and competitive advantage for our customers.”