Condom prices to spike because of…Iran war

Brace yourself for a wave of babies named Sabrina and Justin. The world’s largest condom producer, Karex, plans to raise prices by 20–30% over the next few months due to supply chain disruptions from the war in Iran, the company said yesterday.

Scoreboard: One out of every five condoms worldwide are made by Karex, a Malaysian company that owns ONE Condoms and supplies brands such as Durex and Trojan, as well as the UK’s national health system, and UN-run aid programs. Now, the economic shockwaves that are jolting countless goods, from oil to food, have come for the ruler of rubbers, too.

According to Karex:

• Production costs are up 25–30% since the US and Israel first struck Iran, amid shortages of oil-derived condom materials.
• With global freight disrupted, Karex’s shipments to Europe and the US—which used to take one month to arrive—now take two.

Looking ahead…with how uncertain the geopolitical landscape is, Karex said its outlook is hazy beyond the next two to three months, and it can’t rule out further price increases.

Meanwhile…since the US slashed funding for USAID, condom stockpiles in some developing nations have dwindled, which is compounding the current crunch.—ML