Ololade Adeyanju/
The world’s largest condom manufacturer, Malaysia-based Karex Berhad, has announced plans to increase prices by up to 30 percent, citing severe disruptions to global supply chains caused by the ongoing war involving Iran.
The company, which produces more than five billion condoms annually and supplies major brands such as Durex and Trojan as well as public health programmes including the UK’s NHS and United Nations-backed initiatives, says rising production and logistics costs have made the price increase unavoidable.
According to Reuters reporting, Karex Chief Executive Officer, Goh Miah Kiat, said the situation remains “very fragile”, warning that the company has “no choice but to pass on costs to customers” as input prices continue to surge.
The conflict has disrupted key shipping routes and energy flows from the Middle East, pushing up the cost of petrochemical-based raw materials used in production, including synthetic rubber, nitrile, lubricants and packaging materials.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping corridor, has been severely affected by tensions in the region, contributing to delays and higher freight costs.
Some shipments to Europe and the United States are now taking nearly twice as long as usual.
Karex has also reported a surge in global demand of around 30 percent, driven in part by depleted stock levels among distributors as supply chains struggle to keep pace with disruptions.
Despite the pressures, the company says it currently has sufficient raw material stock for the short term and is working to increase production capacity.
However, it warned that further price increases cannot be ruled out if the geopolitical situation worsens.
The development highlights how deeply global manufacturing has been affected by the Iran conflict, with even essential health commodities now exposed to rising geopolitical and energy-driven costs.
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