Overview
- Karex, the world’s largest condom maker, said it will raise prices by up to 30% because raw materials and freight now cost much more.
- Top Glove reported that nitrile butadiene rubber costs have more than doubled and that natural rubber inputs are up about 30%.
- Firms cite a slowdown through the Strait of Hormuz after late‑February strikes, which has raised oil‑based feedstocks including silicone oil used in every condom.
- Deliveries now take about two months to reach Europe and the United States, leaving buyers with lower stocks and some producers struggling to keep lines running.
- Supply is stable for now, but Karex warned that a single missing component could halt production and threaten jobs, cutting supplies for public health programs run by groups such as the NHS and WHO.