Energy, tariffs pressure costs

Oil moved back above $100 a barrel on April 13 after the United States said it would begin blockading Iranian shipping routes, pushing fuel costs higher across freight networks. (cbsnews.com) CBS reported U.S. crude rose to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude, the global benchmark, climbed to $102.29 after the blockade announcement. The Associated Press said the Strait of Hormuz is a chokepoint for oil, fertilizer and other cargo moving out of the Gulf. (cbsnews.com) (apnews.com) At the same time, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is only starting the first phase of tariff refunds on April 20, and Politico reported most importers will not be eligible in that opening batch. Customs said the claims tool will run through its Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries system inside the Automated Commercial Environment. (politico.com) (cbp.gov) Customs told the Court of International Trade on March 31 that phase one covers unliquidated entries and entries liquidated within 90 days, about 63 percent of affected entries. Reuters reported the agency also said valid refund applications could take up to 45 days to review and process once the new system is operating. (taxnews.ey.com) (usnews.com) For operators that move heavy equipment by truck, van or trailer, those two pressures land at the same time: diesel and gasoline rise with crude, while tariff cash tied up in customs refunds stays unavailable for weeks or months. Mobile imaging companies depend on route density, driver time and equipment uptime, so transport costs can change the margin on each service day. (apnews.com) (cbp.gov) The route effect is straightforward. When fuel rises, longer drives between hospitals, clinics and screening sites become more expensive, and the cost of repositioning a mobile magnetic resonance imaging trailer or service vehicle increases with every mile. (cbsnews.com) Import costs can also linger after the court ruling. Customs said refund declarations in the first phase must be filed by the importer of record or its customs broker, and the filer must already have an Automated Commercial Environment account set up. (cbp.gov) (bloomberg.com) Analysts are already sketching a harsher oil scenario if the shipping disruption lasts. Bloomberg reported on April 9 that Goldman Sachs said Brent could average more than $100 a barrel through 2026 if the Strait of Hormuz remains shut for another month. (bloomberg.com) Iran has called the blockade illegal, and the White House has framed it as pressure on Iranian-linked flows after talks failed. For businesses that budget by quarter, the immediate fact is simpler: fuel is higher now, and tariff cash is not moving back quickly. (cbsnews.com) (politico.com)