Chemical and Material Shortage Alerts – April 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 April, 2014.

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 March 2014 Chemical and Material Shortage Alerts list.

Section II lists the new chemicals and materials (not on the March 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 March to be reported as in short supply are: construction materials, e.g., bricks; (United Kingdom). 

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

Steel:  Chicago; supply not keeping up with demand.

Coconut/Copra: India; supply not keeping up with demand.

Natural Gas:  Middle East; supply not keeping up with demand.

Asphalt:  Mexico; supply 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: steel; coconut/copra; natural gas; asphalt

3.  Government regulations: none

4.  Sources no longer available: none

5.  Insufficient imports:  none

6.  Supply not keeping up with demand:  none