President Donald Trump’s latest economic moves have him staring down a potential disaster eerily similar to one that haunted his first term, according to a new piece from MS NOW, and it all comes down to one common household staple.
In a piece published Sunday morning, reporter and author Anne Kim examined the recent reports that Trump’s reignited trade war with Canada is threatening to disrupt America’s supply of toilet paper, calling to mind the rampant shortages of the same product that plagued the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the last year of his first term. This time, it is his tariffs on Canada set to make the costs for consumers skyrocket, given that America’s northern neighbor is its largest supplier of the vital paper good.
“Remember the Great Toilet Paper Panic of 2020? In the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, massive supply chain disruptions led to shortages of many basic goods, including — crucially — toilet paper,” Kim explained. “People bartered face masks and hand sanitizer in exchange for precious rolls. Criminals attempted daring toilet paper heists. Bidet sales soared.”
She added: “More than six years later, Americans are freaking out over a potential surge in toilet paper prices after President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada. Canada is the United States’ largest supplier of toilet paper imports, which are now subject to a 50 percent tariff thanks to Trump. (Facial tissues, paper towels and napkins are tariffed, too.) Call it another stain on Trump’s handling of the economy.”
Kim noted that the reality of the situation is a little less sensational and foreboding than the reports might suggest, as Canada’s contributions to the U.S. toilet paper supply are not as large as one might expect, providing only 5 percent of the product used in the country in 2024. The Canadian wood pulp supply used by American companies to produce toilet paper has also been exempted from tariffs.
Instead, Kim argued that the “virality” of the story suggests that the situation is more like “a symbol of consumer confidence” amid Trump’s turbulent economy. The resonance with the 2020 shortages might also lead many anxious consumers to recall some of the worst moments of Trump’s past economic performance.
“The Trump administration makes a mistake if it underestimates Americans’ worries over this lowly consumer staple,” she argued, adding later that, “By rekindling his trade war with Canada, Trump hasn’t just flushed away the last vestiges of goodwill with our closest ally. He’s wiped away any pretense of concern about Americans’ daily struggles with affordability.”