Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert – October 2020

The purpose of this blog is to identify chemical and metal 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 2020. 

Section I below lists those chemicals and metals that were on the previous month’s Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list and continue to have news releases indicating they are in short supply. Click here to read the September 2020 Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list.

 Section II lists the new chemicals and metals (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 metals identified in news releases as only being in danger of being in short supply status are not listed. 

Section I.   

• Aluminum cans: United States; supply not keeping up with demand
• Coronavirus protective and testing equipment:  United States; supply not keeping up with demand
• Lumber: United States and Canada; production not keeping up with demand
• Scrap titanium: global; supply not keeping up with demand 

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

• Building materials:  United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland; supply not keeping up with demand
• Isocyanates:  Europe; production not keeping up with demand
• Monoethylene glycol (MEG): Latin America; production not keeping up with demand
• Polyols: Europe; production not keeping up with demand
• Scrap steel: Asia; supply not keeping up with demand
• Steel:  India; supply not keeping up with demand 

Reasons for Section II shortages can be broadly categorized as:  

• Mining not keeping up with demand: none
• Production not keeping up with demand: isocyanates; monoethylene glycol (MEG); polyols
• Government regulations: none
• Sources no longer available: none
• Insufficient imports:  none
• Supply not keeping up with demand: building materials; scrap steel; steel