Add aluminum to the list of hard-to-get items in the supply chain. So forget about your personalized license plate that reads, “LG Brandon.”

You can’t get it, or for that matter, any personalized license plate from the State of Wyoming.

WYDOT has announced that due to the nationwide aluminum shortage, all prestige license plate orders are suspended until further notice. The suspension went into effect on May 11th.

The aluminum shortage is affecting more than glamour plates. The United States is also experiencing a shortage of canned foods because of aluminum has become hard to acquire.

COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 are to blame. With bars and restaurants closed, people started enjoying their beer and other cold drinks at home. A lot of companies, switched from glass to cans over the last two years to reduce costs and streamline the packaging process.

The shift and the reason for it have earned shortage the nickname of “candemic.”

Aluminum supplies are tight and demand is high. Prices for the 13th element on the Periodic Table have jumped to the highest level in 10 years.

Driving the demand is China, which is both the world’s biggest producer and consumer of aluminum. Smelters in China are unable to keep up with demand there, turning the country into an importer of the lightweight metal. This has pulled a greater share of aluminum warehousing away from the U.S. and Europe to Asia, such as Malaysia’s Port Klang.

The can industry says environmental concerns are fueling demand for its product, which has a high rate of recycling. Some 75% of the aluminum that’s ever been produced is still in use. But aluminum is sometimes called “congealed electricity” because it requires so much energy to make it.

Energy emission standards are impacting the ability to manufacture more aluminum to keep up with current demand. Industry insiders say the aluminum shortage may last another year or two.

So get used to your standard-issued Wyoming license plate. Pictured above: Standard license plate design, courtesy of WYDOT.

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