"Do We Need to Panic Buy Again?" War Drives 30% Price Surge... Even the Bedroom Feels the Impact

Surge in Synthetic Rubber Prices Due to War

"Price Pressures Will Continue if Conflict Persists"

Products of Karex, the world's largest condom manufacturer, are on display. The company has decided to raise product prices by up to 30% due to rising raw material costs. Reuters Yonhap News

The aftermath of the Middle East war has driven up condom prices.

According to international media outlets such as The New York Times (NYT) on May 15 (local time), Karex, the world’s largest condom manufacturer based in Malaysia, recently announced that it will raise prices by up to 30%. Karex produces more than 5 billion condoms annually and supplies products to global condom brands such as Durex and Trojan. It is responsible for one-fifth of the world’s condom production. Karex also supplies condoms to public health programs run by the United Nations and the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS).

The reason for Karex’s price increase is the war in the Middle East. The main raw materials used to produce condoms—synthetic rubber, nitrile, silicone oil, and ammonia—all depend on chemical byproducts derived from Middle Eastern oil. In addition, 41% of Asia’s supply of naphtha, a material used in condom packaging, comes from the Middle East.

Goh Mia Kiat, CEO of Karex, stated, “Prices of some raw materials and chemicals have increased by up to 100%,” adding, “We have no choice but to adjust product prices and pass on these costs to customers.” He also explained, “Whereas it used to take one month to ship to the United States and Europe, it now takes nearly two months due to the impact of the war. Even after condoms arrive at their destination, they often remain stuck on ships. Developing countries are facing even greater difficulties, as it takes time for products to arrive even when their inventories have run out.”

CEO Kiat added, “We are considering ways to increase production, but as long as disruptions to energy flows from the Middle East persist, supply chain pressures will continue.”

Experts warn that rising contraception costs could lead to a public health crisis, not just inconveniences for consumers. If people cannot access affordable condoms, there is a risk of increased sexually transmitted diseases in economically vulnerable developing countries, and a rise in unwanted pregnancies could lead to educational and economic problems. In some areas, there is also a growing risk of unsafe abortions.

The ripple effects of the Middle East war have sparked panic buying around the world. In Australia, fuel storage cans have become scarce, especially in rural areas. In China, posts related to condom shortages have surged rapidly on social networking services (SNS).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.