The global market for raw materials in the chemical and construction industries is currently in a precarious situation. A variety of causes are causing an enormous shortage of raw materials. Disruptions in supply chains are restricting the movement of goods, e.g. due to problems in the transportation sector, overcrowded ports and sea containers that are difficult to obtain. Large chemical companies that produce raw materials have declared an inability to deliver due to force majeure, which in turn reduces availability for downstream manufacturers. Additional factors were the onset of winter in Texas, which led to the collapse of the chemical industry there, and the congestion in the Suez Canal. The economic upturn and increased demand in China are also exacerbating the shortage of raw materials. Changes in consumer behavior are also having an impact, according to the German Road Marking Study Association and the Scandinavian Road Marking Association. According to them, the decline in travel during the coronavirus pandemic is having an impact on crude oil production and therefore on refined products.
Hubert Weimann, Silikal, says: "We are also feeling the effects of the severe shortage and price increases in almost all areas - from simple wooden pallets and cardboard packaging to raw materials for our production. The acrylate monomer raw material group has been particularly hard hit." Silikal is doing everything it can to guarantee the usual customer service and asks its customers for their understanding. "It can be helpful to order in good time. For some orders, we can also switch to products that can be used in the same way and have the same properties," says Hubert Weimann.
European experts agree that an end to the global shortage of raw materials is not yet in sight and that the tense situation will not improve in the short term.
