British Coatings Federation: Severe raw material shortages affecting paint and ink supply

The British Coatings Federation (BCF) has reported that supplies of several critical chemicals have been restricted following a severe explosion and fire at an industrial facility in China. According to BCF's statement, in the wake of this major accident in Jiangsu Province, China, the supply of some important chemicals has been severely disrupted, including components used in paints, coatings and printing inks. The explosion and fire, which occurred in March, resulted in 80 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The fire spread to nearby facilities, causing a major evacuation. The Chinese government has ordered the closure of factories at the industrial site and other nearby facilities to enable investigations and safety inspections to be carried out.

Affecting paint and printing ink supply chains

This situation is seriously affecting paint and printing ink supply chains. Significant shortages of components are being experienced, including preservatives for water-based paints, photoinitiators for UV paints, and some red and yellow pigments. It remains unclear when the closed factories will be able to reopen and what their future capacity for these raw materials will be in the near term. Commenting on the situation, BCF Chief Executive Officer Tom Bowtell stated: "Of course, we feel great sadness for everyone affected by this disaster. This situation in China could potentially have a long-term impact on our sector. With numerous critical raw materials unavailable, our members' ability to supply paint, coating and ink products to customers may also be affected. We are monitoring the situation and will continue to keep our members informed." Source: www.european-coatings.com