Not Just Fuel, Making Soft Toys And Crayons Also Costlier Due To Iran War

2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 22, 2026 10:27 PM IST

The US-Israel Iran war has not only led to fuel price hike, but has also hit commodities like stuffed toys with companies such as Snuggle Glove, Bizzikins and Wobblies facing the brunt. These soft toys, developed by a manufacturer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are made with polyester and acrylic, synthetic fibers derived from petroleum.

As several people across the globe grapple over the spike in airfare charges, there is less focus on how the war has impacted the production of even soft toys and crayons. Three weeks after the US-Israel-Iran war, suppliers in China had notified Aleni Brands that getting the materials already was costing them 10% to 15% more, CEO Ricardo Venegas told Associated Press.

“I think this situation demonstrates how much oil permeates throughout our system, and we can’t get away from it,” said Venegas, who founded Aleni Brands last year and is in the process of adding product lines. “Who would have thought that the price of a toy would have a direct relationship with oil?”

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More than 6,000 consumer products are manufactured using petrochemicals derived from oil and natural gas, as per the US Department of Energy. Among the list include computer keyboards, lipstick, tennis rackets, pajamas, soft contact lenses, detergent, chewing gum, shoes, crayons, shaving cream, pillows, aspirin, dentures, tape, umbrellas, and nylon guitar strings. So, the higher cost of production could in turn make things expensive for shoppers, as per trade groups and some companies.

Venegas, a 30-year toy industry veteran, said he would absorb higher material costs for now but expects to increase prices for customers by early 2027, if the war goes on another three to six months. From crude oil to T-shirts and rugsWhile 85% of global oil consumption is in the form of fuel, the rest goes into a wide range of consumer products, according to Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at Columbia University’s School of Business.

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