Industry Update: Preparing for Acrylic Shortages and Price Increases

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Posted in: This & That
If you buy acrylic and polycarbonate regularly, you may have noticed recent price increases or heard rumors of shortages. Unfortunately, what you are hearing is true and likely to affect acrylic price and availability for some time. What is causing the increase in price and shortage of material? There are a variety of factors contributing to the issue:
  1. Currently, resins are available in an increasingly short supply, and some manufacturers are being put on allocation.
  2. Global economies, such as China, are utilizing these resins at an exponential rate, and manufacturers are having a difficult time keeping up with the demand.
  3. Several large plastics manufacturing plants have been temporarily shut down for maintenance. One of these companies, Sabic, has implemented a new ERP system, and is currently still working out the kinks in the new system. This is resulting in some delays in North America. You can read more about that here.
Which materials are affected? In the immediate future, acrylic will be the first material that distributors and customers will experience an industry-wide price increase when purchasing, and it is predicted that polycarbonate will follow suit. Customers may experience longer lead times and decreased availability. What is the timeline for price increases? Manufacturers are expected to increase prices March 1st with consistent increases throughout the year. How is Regal Plastics preparing? We have been working hard with manufacturers to insure that we keep acrylic and polycarbonate in stock. We take pride in our short lead times and have taken measures to insure that this trend continues. We are fortunate to have warehouse space that is allowing us to increase our inventory to keep prices as low as possible for as long as possible. If you are concerned about product price and availability, please feel free to contact our sales representatives. They will be happy to answer any questions and formulate a plan for your future projects. You can check out are wide selection of acrylic sheets here.

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