New import regulations concerning the documentation of metal halide lamps means that there is possibly going to be a Radium bulb shortage. A 2009 law is now beginning to be enforced, causing the FDA to disallow HID lamps through customs without proper documentation including safety issues such as radiation emittance and mercury content in the lamps. At this time Radium has not given any indication as to if or when they will be able to provide the documentation necessary to pass lamps through customs.
At least one importer of the iconic blue metal halide lamp has had a shipment of 1,000 Radiums at customs since the end of February and they have so far been unable to get it released. Other distributors that are buying Radiums direct from Germany will likely to face the same problems. Without proper paperwork the importation problem will persist for Radium, both single and double ended lamps of all power levels may soon be at a critically low supply. If a shortage does come to pass for Radium metal halide lamps, the Neuco 14.5K and AquaMaxx 14K may suddenly jump in popularity for Radium fans looking for a suitable alternative.
