"We have no choice but to pass the costs onto customers."
Durex condoms will increase in price by 30% due to the war in Iran. The expected price rise is linked to supply disruptions of petroleum products due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. "The situation is definitely very unstable, prices are high... we have no choice but to pass the costs onto customers right now," said Go Mia Kiat, CEO of the Malaysian company Karex - the world's largest condom manufacturer, which supplies products to brands such as Durex and Trojan, as well as international UN aid programs.
As Reuters notes, this is already the second setback in securing global condom supplies since Donald Trump's return to the White House in January 2025. The disbandment of USAID initiated by his administration limited supplies to African countries, where contraceptives have played a crucial role in the fight against the HIV epidemic.
