#24 – Apple Shifts Course, Costa Rica in the Dark, and U.S. Truckers Under Scrutiny

🌎 Global Outlook

📱 Apple Revolution: From China to the World, the Supply Chain Goes Global

Apple is rewriting the rules of global supply chains with an unprecedented diversification strategy. By June 2025, Tim Cook announced that “most iPhones sold in the U.S. will come from India, and nearly all iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and AirPods from Vietnam.”
Apple has started producing iPhone 16 Pro models in India—the first time premium units are being built outside China.
But this isn’t just about costs. With potential additional costs of $900 million in the June 2025 quarter, Apple is building an “anti-fragile” supply chain able to withstand any geopolitical shock.
The three-step strategy:

1. Strategic local partnerships, such as Tata Electronics acquiring 60% of Pegatron India.

2. Expansion in Vietnam for AirPods, Apple Watch, and MacBook components.

3. Massive investments—over $500 billion promised in the U.S., though much of it still goes to component purchases.

The lesson for procurement managers? Strategic diversification takes years of planning, testing, and investment—but pays off when geopolitical tensions rise. Lead times and solid partnerships are crucial when policy shifts can rewrite the rules overnight.

🔗 Sources: Supply Chain Digital, TRADLINX

⚡ Costa Rica: When the Renewable Paradise Goes Dark

Who would have thought Costa Rica—a country generating about 95% of its electricity from renewables (hydropower ~74%, geothermal ~13%, wind ~12%)—could find itself in the middle of an unprecedented energy crisis?

In 2024, the worst drought in fifty years literally dried up hydropower reservoirs, forcing ICE (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad) to schedule rotating three-hour blackouts and restart old diesel and bunker thermal plants. For a country that had proudly run for months at 100% renewable power, it was a harsh wake-up call.

The sustainability paradox: over-reliance on hydropower exposed structural limits. In 2024, clean energy’s share dropped to 86.8%—the lowest in over a decade. In critical months, fossil fuels covered more than one-fifth of national demand, while ICE had to import costly electricity from neighbors and lease emergency generators. The result? Electricity tariffs spiked by up to +25%, forcing both domestic and multinational companies to completely rethink their business continuity plans.

Supply chain under pressure: local firms and global giants faced soaring energy costs and real risks of production disruptions in a country long seen as a green stability model for investment. Targeted blackouts even hit the San José metro area, fueling uncertainty and social tension in a population used to energy excellence.

But not all is lost: torrential rains in late 2024 refilled reservoirs to record levels—Lake Arenal reached its highest point in 20 years—and no rationing is expected for 2025. Even more importantly, the crisis catalyzed diversification plans: ambitious new geothermal projects (with potential well over 2,000 MW), over 400 MW of solar and wind already under construction, and ICE tenders for an additional 675 MW in the coming years.

👉 The lesson for everyone: even the world’s “greenest” supply chains can collapse in weeks without resilience and strategic diversification.

🔗 Sources: The Costa Rica News, Low-Carbon Power, Delfino

🖼️ Meme of the Day

⚖️ Compliance Focus

🇺🇸 Trump Forces English Tests for Truck Drivers: Up to 3 Million Jobs at Risk

On April 28, 2025, Trump signed an executive order that could be the most controversial move yet for the U.S. supply chain: mandatory English tests for all truck drivers. And no, this is not a joke.

The scary numbers: up to 3 million drivers (10% of the total) may fail the new English proficiency tests. With a shortage already estimated at 160,000 drivers by 2030, this move could be devastating for U.S. logistics.

How it works in practice—timeline:

• April 2025: Trump signs the executive order

• June 25, 2025: Federal checks go into effect, immediately putting non-English-speaking drivers “out of service”

• In discussion: The Senate is preparing legislation to make this permanent

The absurd side: drivers must prove they can “read and understand road signs, communicate in English with law enforcement, and provide and receive instructions in English.” Essentially, a souped-up driving school exam.

Procurement impact? In the short term, expect higher transport costs and possible delays, especially on routes with high concentrations of non-English-speaking drivers. The sector will adapt—likely with English training and more competitive wages—but the transition will not be painless for just-in-time supply chains.

The real question: in an era of logistics labor shortages, does it make sense to create more barriers to entry? The market will give its answer in the months ahead.

🔗 Sources: FreightWaves, tech.co