Renting a friend, toilet paper tariffs, and more...
A potential trade war between the US and Canada involving tariffs on paper products could increase the cost of toilet paper for American consumers. Because American manufacturers rely on Canadian raw materials, the tariffs are expected to impact the final price of household goods.
Why it matters
This illustrates how international trade policies and supply chain dependencies can have direct, tangible effects on the cost of everyday consumer staples.
There are few things more American than using an unreasonable amount of toilet paper.
In fact, the average American goes through about 141 rolls a year , making the US the world's biggest toilet paper consumer despite having only around 4% of the global population. And now, thanks to the latest US-Canada trade war, even that very American habit could get a little more expensive.
You see, Canada has threatened to slap tariffs of up to 50% on American paper products starting in September, in retaliation for the tariffs imposed by the US. And while most toilet paper sold in America is made in America, much of what goes into making it comes from Canada.
This is because Canada is home to large forests and a well-established pulp and paper industry, so American manufacturers have spent decades building supply chains around relatively cheap Canadian raw materials.
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