Some economists, comparing the cost of manufacturing and distributing condoms with the cost of treating HIV, believe that condoms should be bought by governments and distributed free to anyone who needs them. So how come they are so expensive in many countries? In Britain, bog standard condoms cost over one Euro each, more if you want anything fancy-schmantzy like the England Supporters special edition (I kid you not).
Now we discover why. The EU has fined German conglomerate Bayer and three other companies a total of 76 million Euro for fixing the price of chemicals used in the manufacture of rubber for condoms and other goods. Will the cartel-busting bring down the price of condoms for consumers?
Recent Comments