Widespread Commodity Shortages Raise Inflation Fears
For products as diverse as lumber and microchips, price increases are filtering through the economy.
An apartment complex in Orlando, Fla., being built by Roger B. Kennedy Construction, which says many of its suppliers are raising their prices 10 to 20 percent.Credit.Octavio Jones for The New York Times
May 3, 2021, 5:00 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON In a normal year, Ron Whelan, vice president of Roger B. Kennedy Construction, receives one or two “Dear Valued Customer” letters from suppliers notifying him of price increases for certain materials. This year, a stack of 30 such warnings sits on his desk in Orlando, Fla., alerting him that things as diverse as lumber, drywall, aluminum and steel are going to cost 10 to 20 percent more.
These Materials Could Make Science Fiction a Reality
Metamaterials, which could improve smartphones and change how we use other technology, allow scientists to control light waves in new ways.
Credit.James Yang
This article is part of our new series,
, which examines how rapid advances in technology are transforming our lives.
Imagine operating a computer by moving your hands in the air as Tony Stark does in “Iron Man.” Or using a smartphone to magnify an object as does the device that Harrison Ford’s character uses in “Blade Runner.” Or a next-generation video meeting where augmented reality glasses make it possible to view 3-D avatars. Or a generation of autonomous vehicles capable of driving safely in city traffic.
US president made an appearance at a virtual meeting between administration officials and company leaders held to discuss developing a stronger US computer chip supply chain.
In short supply and hot demand, chip prices could keep rising all year
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An employee oversees a fabrication process at Jiejie Microelectronics, a manufacturer of semiconductors, in Nantong in China s Jiangsu province.
Synopsis
As Covid-19 swept the world last year, surging demand for remote working, home entertainment, and online education products and services led to a run on consumer electronics like smartphones, PCs, and TVs. This, in turn, pushed up demand for the chips they use.
By Guo YingzheSemiconductor prices are expected to continue rising throughout 2021, as a combination of supply disruptions and robust demand leave their mark, and growing input costs ratchet up pressure. A rash of suppliers raised prices this month, beginning upstream with companies like Japan’s top silicone producer, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd., which in March announced a price increase of between 10% and 20% for all silicone products starting