Karex Plans 20% To 30% Condom Price Hike Amid Iran War Supply Disruptions

Karex, described in the Reuters interview as a supplier to brands including Durex and Trojan, says it plans to raise condom prices by 20-30 per cent because the war in Iran is disrupting supply chains.

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In the Reuters interview cited by Nova.ie, Karex chief executive Goh Miah Kiat said, “The situation is definitely very fragile, prices are expensive ... We have no choice but to transfer the costs right now to the customers.”

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Nova.ie reports that Karex is seeing an increase in demand as shipping delays have left customers with lower stock than usual, and it says Karex shipments are taking up to two months to arrive compared with a standard one month waiting time.

The same Reuters-linked reporting says Karex has enough supplies for the next few months and is “looking to boost output to meet growing demand, as global stockpiles of condoms have dropped significantly following deep spending cuts in foreign aid, particularly by the US Agency for International Development last year.”

The https article similarly frames the move as a “30% price hike” tied to the Iran war creating supply chain bottlenecks for raw materials, and it says Karex CEO Goh Miah Kiat described the situation as “fragile.”

In that https account, Karex is described as the world’s largest condom manufacturer and as supplying Durex and Trojan, along with state health systems including the UK’s NHS and United Nations aid programs, while it struggles with delays and shortages of petrochemical-based raw materials.

Both articles connect the price move to logistics bottlenecks and to shortages of petrochemical-based inputs used in condom manufacturing.

Nova.ie says Karex is seeing “a lot more condoms actually sitting on vessels that have not arrived at their destination but are highly required,” and it adds that developing countries are “low on stock as it is taking longer for their shipments to reach them.”

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It also links the disruption to global oil supply problems after Iran responded to US and Israeli airstrikes and threats to target vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that “This has closed the waterway that companies rely on to transport products.”

Nova.ie further states that around a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquified natural gas, as well as other petrochemicals, passes through the strait, and it ties that to the cost pressures felt by manufacturers.

The https article similarly says shipping routes “passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz” have been “severely compromised,” and it describes cargo delays of “up to two months” instead of “one month” for destinations in Europe and the United States.

It also lists specific petrochemical-based raw materials that it says are in shortage, including “synthetic rubber, nitrile, and silicone lubricants,” and it claims Karex has confirmed that production costs have spiked by “25% to 30% since the hostilities began.”

Karex’s reporting also ties the price decision to a simultaneous increase in demand, which it says is being driven by uncertainty and by reduced inventories caused by shipping delays.

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Nova.ie says the condom producer is “currently seeing an increase in demand of condoms as shipping delays has caused many of their customers to have lower stock than usual.”

It adds that Karex is responding by planning to “boost output to meet growing demand,” while also saying it has enough supplies for the next few months.

In the Reuters-linked interview, Goh Miah Kiat argues that demand rises during periods of instability, saying, “In bad times, the need to use condoms is even more because you're uncertain with your future, whether you'd still have a job next year. If you have a baby right now, you'll have one more mouth to feed.”

The https article echoes the demand story by stating that the CEO noted a “30% increase in demand,” and it describes that trend as “often associated with periods of global anxiety.”

It also frames the market as experiencing “dual pressure—surging demand and dwindling supply,” which it says creates “a market environment ripe for inflation.”

The articles place Karex’s pricing decision within a wider set of disruptions affecting health-related supply chains.

Nova.ie says Karex joins “the growing list of companies to be effected by the war in Iran,” and it specifically mentions “medical glove makers” as being impacted because “the war has strained energy and disrupted procurement of raw materials.”

Nova.ie

It also ties the global disruption to the Strait of Hormuz and to oil supply disruptions, stating that global oil supplies have noticed an increase in disruptions since Iran responded to the US and Israeli airstrikes along with threats to target vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Nova.ie then quantifies the strait’s importance by saying “Around a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquified natural gas aswell as other petrochemicals passes through the strait.”

The https article similarly describes “unforeseen shockwaves in the global health sector,” and it says the escalating conflict is creating “unforeseen shockwaves” as Karex struggles with supply chain bottlenecks for raw materials.

It also asserts that “Approximately 20% of the world’s crude oil and liquified natural gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz,” and it describes how that disruption raises the cost of petrochemical derivatives.

The reporting also lays out what Karex says it is doing next and what risks it sees for health systems and procurement.

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Nova.ie says Karex has enough supplies for the next few months and is “looking to boost output to meet growing demand,” while also warning that prices could be raised further if there are continued supply chain disruptions.

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It states that the producer plans to raise prices by 20-30 per cent and it “could be raised further if there are continued supply chain disruptions,” and it describes the company’s current shipping delays as taking up to two months instead of one month.

In the https article, Karex is described as announcing plans to raise prices by 20% to 30% and it says the “30% price hike” is tied to the Iran war creating supply chain bottlenecks for raw materials.

https also says Karex has confirmed that production costs have spiked by “25% to 30% since the hostilities began,” and it frames the price hike as a “major concern” for global health organizations and developing nations that rely on low-cost supplies for family planning and disease prevention.

It adds that “The disruption threatens to exacerbate shortages in precisely the regions where the need is highest,” and it warns that the cost and availability of essential hygiene products remain at “high risk.”