Malaysia’s Karex Bhd, the world’s largest condom producer, plans to raise prices by 20% to 30% and possibly more if supply chain disruptions linked to the Iran war persist, its chief executive told Reuters.
CEO Goh Miah Kiat said rising costs across petrochemical-based inputs, including synthetic rubber, nitrile and packaging materials, were forcing the company to pass on higher prices to customers. “We have no choice but to transfer the costs right now,” he said.
Karex is also seeing demand rise by about 30% this year as shipping delays and higher freight costs leave customers with lower stockpiles.
Shipments to Europe and the United States are now taking close to two months to arrive, compared with about a month previously, the company said.
The company produces more than 5 billion condoms annually and supplies major brands including Durex and Trojan, as well as public health systems such as Britain’s NHS and UN-backed aid programs.
Karex said it has enough supplies for the coming months and is looking to boost output, but warned that ongoing disruptions to energy and petrochemical flows from the Middle East are tightening global supply chains.
