Please enable JavaScript to view advertisements.
×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Home To Bold Columnists
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download App

Condoms, the latest casualty of the Middle east war .

Vocalize Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Vocalize

Reckitt Benckiser, the British supplier of health and hygiene products including Durex condoms, said Wednesday that soaring oil prices caused by the Middle East war could cost it up to £150 million ($203 million).

Reckitt, whose brands also include Dettol surface cleaner and Nurofen painkillers, revealed the fallout in a first-quarter trading update.

"Modelling a scenario of oil at $110 a barrel for the remainder of 2026 indicates a £130 million to £150 million gross impact on our input cost base... which we see as a manageable level," it said.

Petrochemical-linked materials including ammonia, ethanol and silicone oil are used in the making and packaging of condoms, according to Bloomberg News.

The financial newswire added in a report Wednesday that the Malaysian company Karex, which makes 20 percent of the world's condoms, including for Durex, is preparing to raise its prices by up to 30 percent because of the war's impact.

Support Independent Journalism

Stand With Bold Journalism.
Stand With The Standard.

Journalism can't be free because the truth demands investment. At The Standard, we invest time, courage and skills to bring you accurate, factual and impactful stories. Subscribe today and stand with us in the pursuit of credible journalism.

Pay via
M - PESA
VISA
Airtel Money
Secure Payment Kenya's most trusted newsroom since 1902

Follow The Standard on Google News