RismadarVoice Reporters, April 22, 2026
The world’s largest condom manufacturer has issued a stark warning, prices for one of the most essential public health products could soon spike sharply, as geopolitical tensions ripple through global supply lines.
Karex, the Malaysia-based firm responsible for producing more than five billion condoms annually for brands including Durex and Trojan, as well as supplying the National Health Service, says it may raise prices by up to 30 per cent or even higher if the ongoing conflict involving Iran continues to choke off critical raw materials.
Chief Executive Officer Goh Miah Kiat told Reuters and Bloomberg that production costs have “risen sharply” since the crisis escalated, pointing to severe disruptions in the flow of oil, liquefied natural gas, and petrochemical feedstocks through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
Roughly a fifth of the world’s crude oil and LNG supplies typically transit the narrow waterway. But escalating threats to shipping vessels have effectively curtailed movement, triggering a cascade of global supply-chain shocks. For manufacturers like Karex, the consequences are immediate and costly.
The company depends heavily on petroleum-derived inputs, including ammonia used to stabilise natural latex and silicone-based lubricants. As these materials become scarcer and more expensive, production margins are tightening rapidly.
Shipping bottlenecks have compounded the crisis. Freight costs have surged, delivery times have lengthened, and inventory shortages are beginning to emerge across multiple markets.
Paradoxically, demand is rising. Karex reports that global condom consumption has increased by approximately 30 per cent this year, a trend Goh attributes to economic uncertainty and shifting personal priorities.
“In bad times, the need to use condoms is even more because you’re uncertain about your future,” Goh said. “If you have a baby right now, you’ll have one more mouth to feed.”
Public health experts warn that sustained price hikes could have far-reaching consequences, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access to affordable contraception is already fragile. Any disruption risks undermining decades of progress in family planning, HIV prevention, and reproductive health.
With no clear resolution to the conflict in sight, industry analysts say the pressure on both prices and supply is likely to intensify placing an everyday necessity at the mercy of global geopolitics.
