Durex maker Karex hikes condom prices by 30% following Strait of Hormuz blockade
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Durex maker Karex hikes condom prices by 30% following Strait of Hormuz blockade")
Durex maker Karex hikes condom prices by 30% following Strait of Hormuz blockade Photograph: (Credit: Pexels/Representative image)
World’s largest condom maker Karex announces a 30% price hike as the Iran war disrupts global petrochemical supplies and doubles shipping times to the US and Europe.
The ongoing war in West Asia triggers a massive supply chain crisis for the world’s largest contraceptive manufacturer, Karex Bhd. The Malaysian giant contributes to around 20% of the world’s condom production. And now, with the impact of the war, as raw material and logistics costs may go up, even the commodity is likely to see a 30% price hike, the company announced on Wednesday (Apr 22).
The price hike is the largest in the company's history, significantly impacting major clients like Durex. This follows a disruption in the flow of petrochemicals, which is essential for producing synthetic rubber, nitrile, and silicone lubricants, caused by the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking from the company's headquarters, Karex CEO Goh Miah Kiat warned that the operating environment has become "fragile" since the conflict began in February 2026. "We have no choice but to transfer the costs right now to the customers," Goh told news agency Reuters. The manufacturing process for condoms is heavily dependent on petroleum-linked inputs. As major shipping lines divert vessels away from the Strait of Hormuz, transit times for Karex’s exports to Europe and the US have doubled from an average of 30 days to nearly 60 days.
Trending Stories
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
The delays have left global stockpiles dangerously low. This "inventory vacuum" has paradoxically caused demand to jump by 30%, as retailers and public health organisations like Britain’s NHS and the UN scramble to secure what little supply remains. The timing of the war has been particularly brutal for global health. The supply chain was already under strain following deep cuts to USAID funding last year, which had previously supported large-scale distribution in developing nations.
