Chemical and Material Shortage Alerts – December 2013

The purpose of this blog is to identify chemical and material shortages reported on the Internet.  The sources of the information reported here are primarily news releases issued on the Internet.  The issue period of the news releases is from the middle of November 2013 to December 31, 2013.

Section I below lists those chemicals and materials that were on previous Chemical and Material Shortage Alerts lists and continue to have news releases indicating they are in short supply. Click here to read the November 2013 Chemical and Material Shortage Alerts list.

Section II lists the new chemicals and materials (not on the November alert).  Also provided is some explanation for the shortage and, when appropriate, geographical information.  The blog attempts to list only actual shortages situations – shortages are being experienced currently as of the news release.   Chemicals and materials identified in news releases as only being in danger of being in short supply status are not listed.

Section I.   Chemicals and materials that continue from November to be reported as in short supply are: copra; palladium; and platinum.  See the November alert (click here) for explanations for the shortages and for geographical information.

Section II.   Shortages Reported in December Not Found on the Previous Month’s List

Iron Ore (for steel making).  News accounts from India indicate iron ore supplies are not keeping up with demand for steel from India’s steel mills.   Reasons include insufficient imports.

Reasons for Section II shortages can be broadly categorized as: 

1.  Mining not keeping up with demand: none

2.  Production not keeping up with demand: none

3.  Government regulations: none.

4.  Sources no longer available: none.

5.  Insufficient imports:  iron ore - India