Rising Plastic Prices Push Up Toy Costs
Rising Plastic Prices Push Up Toy Costs
Jakarta, VIVA – The surge in global oil prices due to the conflict between Iran and Israel-United States (US) is beginning to spill over into various sectors, including the toy industry. In recent times, toy prices have reportedly risen significantly, driven by the spike in plastic raw material costs and shipping expenses.
In Ludhiana, India, traders state that toy prices in the market have increased by around 10 to 20 per cent in the last few days. This rise is occurring alongside supply chain disruptions from the conflict in West Asia, which has pushed up crude oil prices and directly affected plastic costs as the primary material for toy production.
Retailers say almost all toy categories are affected, particularly plastic-based products that have seen the sharpest increases. This is because plastic prices are heavily dependent on crude oil derivatives, making the sector highly sensitive to global energy price fluctuations.
Supreet Singh, owner of a toy shop in Model Town, said the price rise has affected nearly all stock items. “Prices of almost all toys available in the market right now have increased by around 10 to 20 per cent,” he stated, as quoted from the Times of India on Wednesday, 8 April 2026.
“Toys that are mostly made of plastic have seen higher increases because the cost of plastic raw materials has risen sharply. Distributors have revised their prices several times in the last few weeks,” he added.
The price hikes are not only driven by raw materials but also by surging logistics costs. Industry representatives note that supply chain disruptions have led to higher shipping expenses, especially since most toys in the domestic market are imported goods.
Ashu Gupta, owner of a toy shop on Chandigarh Road, said the impact of rising crude oil prices is now felt across various plastic-based products, not just toys.
“We are seeing price increases for almost all plastic goods. The crude oil price disruptions have raised raw material costs, and shipping fees have also gone up. Transport companies have revised their rates, and suppliers are passing on the burden,” he said.
Despite the rising costs, traders admit they cannot immediately raise prices drastically because consumers are very sensitive to price changes, especially for non-essential items like toys.