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Shortages 2023
Article

Shortages 2023

Four Goods Facing Tight Supplies This Year

Ben Unglesbee
Supply Chain Dive, 2023
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Eye Opening
  • Well Structured
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Writing for Supply Chain Drive, Ben Unglesbee provides an update on anticipated supply chain problems based on events in 2023. Political upheaval, climate disasters and the lingering effects of the pandemic pose threats to a variety of commodities, particularly produce, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lithium and other materials used in electric vehicle batteries. Problems in US production capacity and its reliance on international sources also drive some domestic concerns. Unglesbee reports that both domestic and international trends could affect end users, whether they’re restaurant chains, auto manufacturers or parents.

Summary

Shortages of various essentials have continued since the advent of COVID-19.

Years after the peak of the pandemic, supply chain challenges persist across geographies and sectors, including food crops, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and lithium. Some situations have improved while others have deteriorated, and what is good for one industry may bring new perils to another.

Perhaps most concerning are shortages in critical medicines for children. In the fall of 2023, when children were experiencing a variety of respiratory illnesses, parents sought over-the-counter treatments to address their kids’ flu symptoms and provide pain relief. Major US drug store chains responded by imposing purchase limits.

About the Author

Ben Unglesbee is a Senior Reporter for Supply Chain Dive.

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