K-Ck the maker of Huggies diapers and Kleenex tissues, said that over the last two months it had already halted most of its production lines as it has been unable to obtain raw materials or hard currency and has been adversely affected by high inflation.
"The combination of these factors makes it impossible to continue our business at this time," Kimberly-Clark said in a statement. "Kimberly-Clark will not continue producing, distributing or selling its product lines for institutional or mass consumption while this suspension is in effect."
The OPEC nation's economy is in free fall due to low oil prices and a collapsing socialist economic model. Venezuelans routinely spend hours in line fpr basic products ranging from food and medicine to personal care items such as diapers, sanitary napkins and toilet paper.
Many of those items are subject to price controls set below the cost of production, which has left companies with few incentives to produce them and fueled a smuggling trade by those who buy them and resell them at a hefty markup.
K-C makes diapers, feminine hygiene items and tissue goods in Venezuela where it averages $200 million in sales per year. It has a workforce of about 1000 employees.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blames the country's problems an on "economic war" by business leaders with the backing of Washington.