World's top condom maker Karex to raise prices sharply as Iran war strains supply chain

The West Asia war has dented almost each and every business in the world for the world's top condom producer— Karex ​Bhd— is also planning to raise prices by 20% to 30% and possibly further if supply chain disruptions drag on.

The Malaysia-based firm said they are also seeing a surge ⁠in condom demand as rising freight costs and ‌shipping delays have left many ​of its customers with lower stockpiles than usual.

"The situation is definitely very fragile, prices are expensive... We have no choice but to transfer the costs right now to ​the customers,"  CEO Goh Miah Kiat.

Karex ⁠produces over 5 billion condoms annually and is a supplier to leading brands like Durex and Trojan, as well as state health systems such as Britain's NHS and global aid programmes run ⁠by the ‌United Nations.

The condom maker joins a growing list of companies, including medical glove makers, bracing for supply chain bottlenecks ‌as the Iran war strains energy and petrochemical flows from the Middle East, disrupting ⁠procurement of raw materials.

Since the conflict began in late February, Karex has seen costs increase for everything from ‌synthetic rubber and nitrile used in manufacturing condoms to ‌packaging materials and lubricants such as aluminium foils and silicone ‌oil, Goh said.

He said 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 U.S. Agency for International Development last year.

Demand for condoms has risen about 30% this year, with shipping disruptions further exacerbating shortages, he said.

Karex's shipments to destinations such as Europe and the United States are now taking close to two months to arrive, compared to a month previously.

"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 a lot of developing countries do not have enough stock because it takes ​time for the products to reach them.

(with Reuters inputs)