Chemical and Material Shortage Alert – May 2014

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 May, 2014.

Section I below lists those chemicals and materials that were on the previous Chemical and Material Shortage Alert list and continue to have news releases indicating they are in short supply. Click here to read the April 2014 Chemical and Material Shortage Alert list.

Section II lists the new chemicals and materials (not on the April alert).  Also provided is some explanation for the shortage and geographical information.  This blog attempts to list only actual shortage situations – those shortages that are being experienced during the period covered by the news releases.   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 April to be reported as in short supply are: construction materials, e.g., bricks, (United Kingdom); natural gas (Middle East).

Section II.   Shortages Reported in May not found on the Previous Month’s List

Herbicides:  Western Australia; supply not keeping up with demand.

Ilmenite: India; local mining not keeping up with demand.

Water:  Crimea; Ukraine restricting supply.

Urea:  India; government limiting availability of natural gas.

Iron Ore:  India; mining restrictions by government..

Reasons for Section II shortages can be broadly categorized as: 

1.  Mining not keeping up with demand: Ilmenite

2.  Production not keeping up with demand: none

3.  Government regulations: water; urea; iron ore

4.  Sources no longer available:  none

5.  Insufficient imports:  none

6.  Supply not keeping up with demand:  herbicides