ImportGenius makes headlines in May and June 2026

This issue of Tradebreaker, which gathers up news stories from May and June 2026 featuring ImportGenius research and data, shows how trade data can be used to uncover intelligence on sanctions evasion, food and nutrient contamination, new product releases, and more. 

In this issue, ImportGenius research was used to show how:

• Cuba and Russia are beating the trade sanctions imposed on them.
• China has shielded its economy from the impact of the Strait of Hormuz blockade.
• Valve’s latest shipments presage its highly-anticipated Steam Machine release. 
• Switzerland has become a key supplier in the manufacture of Russian drones. 

Front-page headlines

This month’s top stories

Sanctions leave Cuba's trade surprisingly intact

‍US Exports to Cuba Jump as Fuel, Cars and Food Get Past Trump's Blockade – Bloomberg – Michael Smith | ImportGenius shipment data revealed that U.S. exports to Cuba have surged despite the Trump administration's tougher sanctions. Trade records showed fuel, food, vehicles and consumer goods continuing to reach the island through a longstanding export loophole, exposing the gap between U.S. policy and commercial reality.

Sweatshop abuse triggers U.S. import ban

‍Under Armour clothes from sweatshop supplier banned after abuse and suicides – The i Paper – Rob Hastings | ImportGenius shipment records helped connect the U.S. market to apparel made at Jordanian factories that stand accused of labour abuses. The investigation contributed to U.S. Customs banning imports from two factories supplying Under Armour after allegations of worker exploitation, abuse, and suicides.

Sanctioned elites keep flying in luxury

‍Putin's Inner Circle Travels on Western-Made Private Jets Despite Sanctions – The Wall Street Journal – Bojan Pancevski | ImportGenius records helped trace how Western-built business jets continue to reach Russian oligarchs and defence executives despite international sanctions. Combined with aviation records, the data exposed the intermediary companies and jurisdictions enabling luxury aircraft to remain in service for Putin's inner circle.

Russian vigilantes backed by global supply chains

‍Brutal raid on woman's birthday party highlights rise of Russian vigilante group – BBC News – Christopher Giles and Julia Luft | ImportGenius trade data helped trace the international supply chains behind a Russian businessman linked to the nationalist vigilante group Russkaya Obshchina. Shipment records illustrated how companies connected to figures supporting the movement remain integrated into global trade despite growing concerns over political violence and repression.

Spotlight 

The Hinrich Foundation on the Hormuz chokepoint effect 

The Hinrich Foundation, the Asia-based think tank founded in 2012 by American entrepreneur Merle Hinrich, routinely publishes some of the world’s most reliable research on issues related to global markets and international trade. And now they’ve welcomed ImportGenius Director of Research William George and Lead Analyst Lynn Hughes to their stable of researchers. 

• William and Lynn’s first research paper for the Hinrich Foundation, How Hormuz hits Asia: The chokepoint effect on China, Japan and Vietnam, examines how the Iran war is impacting Asian economies that rely heavily on oil from the Persian Gulf. The paper combines ImportGenius data with additional sources to show readers the reasons behind China’s resilience, and Vietnam’s vulnerability, to the Hormuz chokepoint. 
• Those insights formed the basis for a special episode of the Foreign Press podcast with William, What Hormuz means for Asia’s energy security, hosted by the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents. 
• The Hinrich Foundation recently published William and Lynn’s latest research on the trade impacts of the conflict in Iran, The Hormuz Impasse: A Case Study on The Philippines. As the country that has been hardest-hit to date by the impacts of the Hormuz chokepoint, the Philippines provides a glimpse of the economic and social impacts that could spread elsewhere as the conflict drags on. 

Business news

Tariffs, sanctions, trade restrictions and the market

‍An iconic American brand bids farewell to its hometown

‍Storied Toolmaker Closes Its Last Hometown Plant—and Blames Its Tape Measures – The Wall Street Journal – Bob Tita | ImportGenius shipment records helped document Stanley Black & Decker's growing reliance on overseas manufacturing as the company shuttered its final production facility in New Britain, Connecticut. Trade data illustrated the shift of tool production to lower-cost countries that ultimately reshaped one of America's best-known manufacturers.

Valve's next move leaves a trade-data trail

‍Steam Machine: Further hardware shipments spotted – and what they could mean – Notebookcheck – Steven Parker | ImportGenius shipment records revealed additional hardware imports linked to the gaming company Valve Corporation, fueling speculation that the company is preparing to launch a new Steam Machine. The trade data provided one of the earliest public indicators that development and manufacturing activity is accelerating ahead of any official announcement.

A mystery baby formula crosses European borders

‍Nara Organics: Manufactured in Germany, Packaged in Denmark – eFood Alert – Phyllis Entis | ImportGenius shipment data helped unravel the supply chain behind Nara Organics infant formula, which has been linked to cases of infant botulism. Trade records raised new questions about the product's manufacturing claims and the transparency of its international sourcing.

Chinese mining firms secure strategic water rights

‍Chinese companies receive authorization to use surface water – La Prensa Nicaragua | ImportGenius trade data helped illustrate the expanding footprint of Chinese mining companies operating in Nicaragua. Shipment records documented imports of mining equipment and industrial materials, as the Nicaraguan government granted Chinese firms access to valuable surface water resources.

How animal diseases travel with global supply chains

‍Feed from Germany, domestic vaccine and outbreak in Mongolia – Baikal Journal – Yuri Georgiev | ImportGenius shipment data traced imports of German livestock feed into Mongolia as authorities responded to a disease outbreak affecting the country's cattle herds. The trade records highlighted how international supply chains intersect with animal health risks and veterinary preparedness.

Investigations 

Illicit and nefarious activity, exposed

Swiss technology finds its way into Russian drones

‍Swiss high-tech in Russian drones: Secret networks revealed – NZZ – Samuel Meier, Leo Eiholzer, Anja Lemcke | ImportGenius data helped trace the complex procurement networks moving Swiss-made electronic components into Russia, where they ultimately appeared in military drones. Shipment records exposed the intermediary companies and indirect trade routes sustaining Russia's wartime supply chains.

Indian chemicals keep flowing to Russia

‍Revealed: the Indian firm quietly shipping key chemicals to Russia – Newsweek – Ellie Cook | ImportGenius shipment records helped identify continued exports of industrial chemicals from India's Reliance Industries to Russia despite mounting international pressure on Moscow. Trade data revealed the scale and persistence of commercial relationships, supplying products with potential strategic importance.

Western engines power Russia's navy

‍From MAN to Almaz: Western components in Russian ships – Dossier Center – ImportGenius shipment data revealed how Western-made marine engines and other critical components continued reaching Russian naval shipbuilders through intermediary suppliers. The investigation mapped the complex international procurement networks supporting Russia's maritime defense industry despite export controls.

Uruguay's sea lions become an export commodity

‍The sea lion business: government authorized live animal exports to Asian aquariums – El País Uruguay – Karen Parentelli | ImportGenius shipment records documented Uruguay's export of live sea lions to aquariums in Asia, shedding light on a little-known international wildlife trade. Trade data helped quantify the shipments and identify the overseas destinations for the protected marine mammals.

Coal's hidden human supply chain

‍From Colombia to Chile: the forgotten peoples who sustain coal-fired power – Mongabay – Antonio Paz and Michelle Carrere | ImportGenius trade records traced coal exports from Colombia to power producers in Chile, illustrating the international supply chains connecting mining operations with electricity generation. The shipment data provided context for an investigation into the Indigenous and rural communities whose livelihoods and environments are shaped by the coal trade.

Political influence meets international commerce

Bukele's government boosts business interests of Carla Rodríguez, the first lady's sister – Gato Encerrado – Editorial Staff | ImportGenius shipment records helped trace the commercial activities of companies linked to Carla Rodríguez, sister of El Salvador's First Lady. Trade data provided evidence of Rodríguez’ expanding international business interests amid questions about political influence and preferential treatment.

Looking ahead 

News to watch: The IG research team’s picks

Patrick’s Pick: Trump's Hormuz toll plans bring oil supply risks back in spotlight - Hellenic Shipping News | This article states, in no uncertain terms, that the most pressing issue in the conflict over the Strait of Hormuz isn’t toll fees or even crude prices, the increasing issue with but uncertainty. More than anything, companies and governments need to be able to make plans, to predict and understand how things will go, to know that they can secure oil supplies and shipping routes six months out. Currently, the market is unsure if current oil production volumes can be continued, if prices will drop, and whether traffic through the Strait will ever resume — without ever providing the certainty of long-term closure that would necessitate developing new shipping routes long-term.

William’s Pick: The Houthis just announced a blockade on Saudi Arabia. What does it mean for the global economy? - Atlantic Council - Allison Minor | The newly announced Houthi blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for Saudi traffic poses a renewed threat to maritime safety in the Red Sea. This blockade is not happening in a vacuum: it bears a striking similarity to the US’s blockade in response to the Iranian tolling regime in the Hormuz. After years under Saudi blockade — and following recent strikes by the Saudi government on the Yemeni Sana’a airport,  attempting to prevent Iranian aircraft from landing — the Houthis have imposed a counter-blockade of their own. The most significant question is whether this blockade will extend to direct missile strikes on Yanbu, Saudi Arabia’s top oil export hub for bypassing the Hormuz closure.

Lynn’s Pick: China solar exports to South, Southeast Asia and Africa rise despite post-rebate slump -  Reuters | In our May whitepaper on the Hormuz chokepoint, we stated that "China is currently uniquely positioned by near-total vertical integration to provide solar panels, batteries, and EVs to those scrambling to insulate their economies from chokepoint weaponization," with the caveat that “its long-planned renewable energy and EV strategies, now poised to reap handsome rewards, depend on inputs from Gulf extractive industries.” I believe what we’re seeing in this article from Reuters is the spike in solar demand from energy insecure economies, combined with per module prices rising from both increased demand and increased input prices.

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