Starting in May, domestic producers warn of price increases for detergents

After a 22% increase in fuel prices and up to an 8% rise in cooking oil, producers warn that price hikes are also expected to affect cleaning products and detergents.

Many washing powders are produced domestically, but the raw materials are imported. Laundry soaps, on the other hand, mostly come from imports. Local producers state that foreign suppliers have notified them of raw material price increases ranging from 15% to 20% compared to the period before the start of the war.

The rise in fuel prices has directly increased the cost of raw materials in factories abroad. Producers also factor in additional costs from higher transport tariffs.

Taking into account the delivery time of new supplies, which ranges from 30 to 45 days, detergent producers predict that the new prices will be reflected in the market at the beginning of May.

Price increases are also considered unavoidable for importers of finished products, as market data shows that foreign suppliers have already raised their prices.

In March 2022, following the start of the war in Ukraine, prices of domestically produced cleaning products increased by 10% to 20%. The increase was driven by more expensive raw materials and higher transport costs. During that period, rising prices and demographic changes led to a decline in demand, according to producers.

According to INSTAT data for 2025, a total of 68.3 million kg was imported in the group “Soap, washing preparations, lubricants, candles.” Compared to 2024, imports in this group increased by 2%.

For January–February 2026, imports in this group decreased by 13% compared to the same period of the previous year.

Domestic detergent producers have repeatedly raised concerns that declining consumer demand is being influenced by demographic changes and emigration, which in turn reduces the volume of raw material imports used for detergent production.

“KORÇA BOOM”