Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Malaysia's Karex Bhd, the world's largest condom maker, has announced plans to raise prices by 20 to 30 percent, with the potential for further increases if the Iran war continues to disrupt global supply chains. The company, which produces over five billion condoms annually and supplies major brands including Durex and Trojan, as well as state health systems like Britain's NHS and United Nations aid programmes, is the latest casualty of a conflict that has sent shockwaves through industries far beyond the Middle East. Chief Executive Goh Miah Kiat told Reuters on Tuesday that the situation is "definitely very fragile," leaving the company with no choice but to pass rising costs on to customers. "We have no choice but to transfer the costs right now to the customers," he said, describing a perfect storm of supply disruptions and surging demand that is now threatening global access to one of the most essential public health tools.
The crisis stems directly from the ongoing war involving Iran, which began in late February 2026 after US and Israeli attacks on Iranian targets. Iran has since blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which more than 20 percent of the world's oil and gas supplies normally pass. The disruption has sent energy and petrochemical prices soaring, and condom manufacturing has been caught in the crossfire. Karex has seen costs rise across virtually every input, from synthetic rubber and nitrile used in the condoms themselves to packaging materials like aluminium foil and lubricants such as silicone oil. Shipping delays have compounded the problem, with freight times to Europe and the United States nearly doubling from about one month to close to two months. "We're seeing a lot more condoms actually sitting on vessels that have not arrived at their destination but are highly required," Goh said, adding that many developing countries face acute shortages because of the lengthened logistics timelines.
Adding to the pressure is a sharp increase in demand, which has risen about 30 percent this year. Customers, facing uncertainty and depleted inventories, are ordering more aggressively, further tightening supply. Global stockpiles of condoms had already dropped significantly following deep spending cuts in foreign aid, particularly by the US Agency for International Development last year. The combination of reduced aid-funded stockpiles, rising demand, and the supply chain chaos triggered by the Iran war has created a situation that public health experts warn could have serious consequences, especially in low-income countries where condoms are a cornerstone of family planning and HIV prevention programmes.
The impact of the crisis extends well beyond Karex. In India, a market valued at around 8,000 crore rupees, manufacturers are grappling with shortages of anhydrous ammonia, used to stabilise natural rubber latex, and silicone oil. Roughly 86 percent of India's anhydrous ammonia imports come from the Middle East, and the conflict has choked off supplies. Prices for ammonia are expected to jump 40 to 50 percent, while silicone oil is already in short supply. The disruptions are hitting a high-volume, low-margin industry, raising the prospect of a 50 percent surge in retail prices if the situation persists. Public health officials fear that such increases could reduce accessibility and threaten family-planning efforts, especially for low-income users who are most sensitive to price changes. When contraception becomes unaffordable or unavailable, unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections often rise.
The ripple effects are being felt across the broader manufacturing sector, particularly in medical supplies. CIMB Securities analyst Oong Chun Sung noted that glove manufacturers have raised prices on synthetic rubber gloves by about 40 percent, to as high as 29 dollars per thousand units. Top Glove, the world's largest glove maker, is seeking to pass on 50 percent of raw material cost increases, while Hartalega's CEO has warned that continued war could threaten global glove supply. The crisis has even forced some players out of the market entirely; Malaysian glove maker WRP Asia Pacific announced it would begin winding down operations in April, citing an inability to guarantee raw material procurement amid the conflict. Karex, for its part, says it has sufficient supplies for the next few months and is looking to boost output, but the longer the war continues, the more precarious the global supply situation becomes.
The condom price hike is a stark reminder that modern supply chains, for all their efficiency, are also deeply vulnerable to geopolitical shocks. A conflict in the Middle East, thousands of kilometres from the factories of Southeast Asia, is now threatening to raise the cost of contraception for millions of people around the world. For now, Karex is absorbing what it can, but as CEO Goh Miah Kiat made clear, the company has reached its limit. "We have no choice but to transfer the costs right now to the customers," he said. Whether consumers, governments, or aid organisations will be able to absorb those costs remains an open question, one that will be answered not in corporate boardrooms but in clinics, pharmacies, and hospitals across the globe.
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