Wookieepedia:Featured article queue/January 31, 2010

The rawmat shortage of 1–2 ABY was a galaxy-wide scarcity of raw materials (or "rawmats") vital in capital ship construction, which was particularly acute in the Core Worlds and Mid Rim. The material hit hardest was doonium, the white-gray metal used for hull plating that gave many capital ships their characteristic coloration, but other materials, such as hybrid plexsteel, also became scarce. The shortage was a result of increased demand from the Imperial government, Rebel attacks on production centers, and a pre-existing downward trend in Mid Rim production capability.

The shortage lasted for nearly a year, and lead to a recession in the Core Worlds. This recession resulted in political ramifications for worlds in the Core, such as on Esseles, where the Forad Party lost its grip on the Esselian Hall for the first time in a decade. The shortage also lead to smuggling, including a major operation discovered by Imperial Customs on Brentaal. Furthermore, the shortage resulted in creative use of alternate materials for warship construction, most notably the armoring of one hundred Victory-class Star Destroyers with red havod-alloy plates.