(Source: China-Singapore Jingwei 2026-03-26)
The smoke from the Middle East may affect the price of sanitary napkins.
According to Blue Whale News, Henkel China, a world-renowned adhesive manufacturer, recently sent a letter to customers stating that due to price fluctuations in the international market, raw material procurement costs have far exceeded the controllable range. In order to ensure product quality and stable supply, after careful study, our company will increase the prices of all products used by your company by 20%. The price increase will officially take effect on March 17, 2026.
Adhesives are the “hidden pillar” in the production of many daily necessities, especially in the personal care sector. For example, the production of sanitary napkins and diapers is inseparable from hot melt adhesive. It is used in key links such as structural bonding, rubber band fixation and back adhesive sticking, which directly affects the comfort and safety of the product. Gui Haoming, chief market expert of Shenwan Hongyuan Research Institute, said in an interview with Sino-Singapore Jingwei that the recent geopolitical conflict in the Middle East has caused transportation obstruction in the Strait of Hormuz, and rising crude oil prices will inevitably drive up the prices of chemical products. From the perspective of the industrial chain, in addition to hot melt adhesive, core raw materials for sanitary napkins such as non-woven fabrics and polymer absorbent resins are all derived from petroleum, and prices will also be significantly affected.
Since this year, the price of Brent crude oil futures has risen from US$60 to 70 per barrel to over US$110 per barrel, an increase of nearly 50%.
However, Gui Haoming emphasized that the transmission rhythm of chemical raw material price increases will not be completely synchronized with crude oil, and part of the price increase factors during the transmission process will be digested or absorbed by intermediate links, so the price increase of chemical raw materials is usually lower than that of crude oil. However, the current crude oil price has not yet stabilized and is still fluctuating at a high level. In some areas, there is even a situation where "you can't buy spot even if you have money", so it is difficult to fully determine the subsequent trend.
“Judging from the current situation, there is a possibility of a 20% or higher increase in chemical raw materials.” Gui Haoming said.
Specific price changes of raw materials,Dong Xiucheng, Executive Dean of the China International Carbon Neutral Economic Research Institute, w88 casinoAccording to an interview with China-Singapore Jingwei, the price of non-woven fabrics (PP) is likely to rise by 30% to 35%; the price of polymer water-absorbent resin (SAP) may rise by 15% to 20% as acrylic acid rises; the price of hot melt adhesive may rise by more than 20%.
“Overall, the comprehensive cost of raw materials may increase by about 20%, and the price is likely to be transmitted to the terminal price of sanitary napkins. The retail price may increase by 3% to 8%, and brands may increase prices implicitly in the form of ‘reduce volume without increasing price’.”Dong Xiuchengrepresents.
Currently, price fluctuations in the upstream materials of sanitary napkins have been transmitted to the OEM level.
On the 23rd, Sino-Singapore Jingwei consulted a sanitary napkin factory in Guangdong as a brand owner. The other party said that the raw materials of sanitary napkins are light-weight products, which take up too much storage capacity and cannot be stocked. At present, due to the force majeure of the war, the prices of plastic particles such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) have been driven up, driving up the prices of sanitary napkin non-woven fabrics, PE films, polymers and other materials. "Materials are priced one price a day." At present, the ex-factory price of sanitary napkins has increased by 10% to 15% compared with before. You need to follow the market and quote the material price at the time of ordering.
On the 22nd, Sino-Singapore Jingwei consulted a sanitary napkin OEM factory in Quanzhou, Fujian Province as a brand owner. The other party said that (raw materials) have said that prices will increase. The price of this batch of goods will not increase as agreed, but it depends on how fast the materials increase. It is hard to say how long the price can be locked.
Will sanitary napkin brands increase prices immediately? Gui Haoming analyzed that consumer products such as sanitary napkins have dual characteristics. On the one hand, they are rigid needs, and on the other hand, the needs are hierarchical. Higher-priced products have greater demand elasticity. When prices rise sharply, consumers may switch to cheaper products, especially mid-range products, where demand will change first.
Gui Haoming analyzed that the domestic sanitary napkin market is still in a buyer's market with sufficient supply and strong production capacity. Therefore, many manufacturers will actively digest some of the price increases and try to avoid terminal price increases that affect sales.
Dong Xiuchengstated that these petroleum derivatives account for more than 60% of the cost of sanitary napkins and diapers. The superimposed production electricity, logistics and transportation costs rise simultaneously, and are ultimately transmitted to the terminal selling price. However, there are still uncertainties in terminal prices. Brand inventory digestion, channel gaming, competition landscape, etc. will all affect the extent and pace of price increases.
On the 22nd, Sino-Singapore Jingwei consulted as a consumer. The customer service staff of sanitary napkin brands such as Kotex, Cotton Times, She Research Institute, and Sophie all stated that they had not received notification of price changes yet.
Gui Haoming pointed out that based on historical experience, it takes about 2 to 3 months for rising raw material prices to be transmitted to end products. Retail price fluctuations depend on the purchase price, and there is an inventory cycle in purchase. That is, the goods on the shelves today may be goods one month ago, and the manufacturer may order raw materials earlier, so there is a time lag in transmission. Prices of refined oil products are adjusted on a ten-working-day cycle, and daily consumer goods prices generally take about two months.
In the face of possible price increase expectations,Dong XiuchengConsumers are not recommended to stock up in large quantities to avoid expired waste. He believes that companies will absorb part of the costs first, but prices will inevitably rise after inventories bottom out. Cost pressure may evolve into a short-term price increase rather than a long-term upward shift. If oil prices fall back, sanitary napkin prices will most likely fall back.
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