LONDON – Tensions from ongoing US–Iran war disrupt key rade routes, the ripple effects have reached an unexpected place as it now affected condom supply.
With shipping lanes choked, oil prices climbing, and raw material costs surging, the world’s largest condom manufacturer is being forced to raise prices sharply.
Malaysian giant Karex responsible for producing around five billion condoms annually for major brands like Durex and Trojan, is bracing to hike prices by 20% to 30%. And that may just be the beginning. Executives said increases could climb even higher if tensions in the Middle East persist.
This disruption rattled global energy markets, pushing oil prices upward and with them, the cost of rubber, a key raw material used in latex condoms. In just one month, rubber prices have jumped by 8.5%.
Karex CEO Goh Miah Kiat called it “fragile” and increasingly unaffordable. He made it clear the company has no option but to pass rising costs on to customers.
The entire supply chain is under strain. Essential components like silicone oil used as lubricant and aluminium foil for packaging have also become more expensive.
Meanwhile, demand is surging. Global need for condoms has spiked by roughly 30% this year, partly due to cuts in US foreign aid programs that previously supported distribution.
The company said it has enough stock to meet short-term needs, but it is scrambling to ramp up production to keep pace.
Even as factories push harder, another crisis is unfolding at sea. Shipping delays have doubled transit times to Europe and US from about one month to nearly two, and massive quantities of condoms are stranded on vessels, unable to reach markets where they are urgently needed.
With rising costs, supply chain breakdowns, and shipping bottlenecks converging, the world may soon face an unexpected and highly personal shortage, turning a global conflict into a crisis that hits closer to home than many would expect.
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