Global Scans · Supply · Weekly Summary

• [New] According to USDA projections analyzed by Reuters, world corn usage is expected to surpass production by about 1.8%, marking the largest supply deficit in 16 years. AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST
• [New] The MOEA will be responsible for setting standards for Taiwanese indigenous systems and supply chains, establishing test sites for manufacturers to evaluate drone performance, and accrediting local manufacturers who have reached the required domestic production levels. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] South Korean manufacturers are expanding production facilities across key automotive markets to strengthen proximity to customers and reduce regional supply-chain risks. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Continued government support for electric mobility and strategic manufacturing investments is expected to strengthen France's position within Europe's battery supply chain. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Weather risk is compounding, as El Nino, heat, drought and low water on European rivers and the Panama Canal threaten feedstock and agricultural supply and costs. Kemiex AG
• [New] The combination of declining ore grades in Chile (Escondida's concentrator feed grades fell from 1.02% to 0.9%), Codelco's production stagnation, and Andean social conflict risk creates a supply-side constraint that will persist regardless of price signals. CES Intelligence
• AI demand will outpace supply through 2027. tradingkey.com
• The trade flow will be influenced by Chinese investments, which may divert volumes to Asia, but Western offtakers will seek to secure Argentine supply to meet IRA and other sustainability criteria. Energy Solutions Intelligence
• Global lithium prices, which peaked in 2022 and corrected sharply in 2023-2024, are expected to stabilize in 2026 as demand from EV adoption (especially in Europe and North America) catches up with supply. Energy Solutions Intelligence
• The International Energy Agency expects global oil supply to remain below near-normal levels until early 2027. investing.com
• U.S. manufacturing decarbonization opportunities emerge through sectoral procurement mandates, supply chain transparency requirements, and corporate sustainability commitments, establishing minimum ESG performance expectations for supplier relationships. Persistence Market Research
• Hyundai Mobis announced a cooperation framework with Boston Dynamics to supply actuators when Atlas enters mass production, while its holographic windshield display-developed with ZEISS and awarded a CES 2026 Innovation Award-targets mass production in 2029. Hyundai Motor Group
• Farmed aquatic animals are becoming the main source of future supply growth, while capture fisheries are expected to remain comparatively stable over the coming decade. nutriNews, la revista de nutricion animal
• While demand is expected to increase significantly over the coming decades, supply growth is being constrained by declining ore grades, reserve depletion, permitting challenges, rising costs, and a lack of major new discoveries. Natixis Investment Managers
• Export restrictions on advanced AI chips have created opportunities for AMD in certain geographic markets, while supply constraints affecting Nvidia have prompted some customers to diversify their supplier base. Alphio AI
• Companies expect the supply bottleneck to tighten further in 2027 compared with 2026, as new production capacity is coming on stream more slowly than anticipated. DJE Kapital AG
• Memory demand is outpacing supply, with HBM and DRAM prices likely to remain elevated through at least 2027 as AI infrastructure expands. Seeking Alpha
• We expect greater policy initiatives and government efforts to prioritise domestic processing across West Africa, allowing for a greater capture of value in the cocoa supply chain, as well as reducing reliance on exports of raw cocoa beans. Fitch Solutions
• Helium supply shortages and price volatility pose an unforeseen threat to semiconductor and AI chip capacity expansion. ODG Electronics
• Trade tensions between the U.S. and China remain a wildcard that could impact the entire semiconductor supply chain. Alphio AI

Last updated: 14 September 2026