Chemical and Material Shortage Alert – October 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 October 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 September 2014 Chemical and Material Shortage Alert list.

Section II lists the new chemicals and materials (not on the September 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 September to be reported as in short supply are: bricks (United Kingdom); zinc (global)

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

Cement: Minnesota; production not keeping up with demand

Solar Panels: global; production not keeping up with demand

Water: Brazil (San Paulo); draught

Ferro-silicon: Brazil; production not keeping up with demand

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: cement; solar panels; ferro-silicon

3.  Government regulations: none

4.  Sources no longer available:  none

5.  Insufficient imports:  none

6.  Supply not keeping up with demand:  none