Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada

Read the original at The Guardian ↗
Cite

York, L. A. i. N. (2026, August 26). Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/26/paper-product-toilet-paper-tariffs-us-canada

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

The Guardian · collected 2026-08-26 · by Lauren Aratani in New York

Quick Summary

The US and Canada are entering a full-fledged trade war, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing tariffs of up to 50% on nearly 900 American goods, effective September 8. This includes toilet paper and tissues, which will face tariffs of between 25-50%, affecting products such as Charmin and those sourced by retailers like Costco. The US imported $328m worth of toilet paper from Canada in 2024, making it the largest exporter to the US. The trade war highlights deep economic ties between the two countries, with US tariffs also affecting Canadian liquor and dairy products.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-08-26, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

Here's a summary of the news story:

Naheed Nenshi, the leader of the Alberta NDP, has urged Premier Danielle Smith to cancel or postpone the upcoming referendum on separating from Canada due to the ongoing trade war with the US. The referendum is scheduled for October 19 and will ask voters whether they want to start the process of holding a future binding vote on separation.

Nenshi's demand was met with skepticism by some, who noted that he had previously opposed the idea of a separation referendum. Premier Smith rejected Nenshi's request, saying that the trade war was an opportunity for Alberta and Canada to stand together against the US.

Meanwhile, other provinces are also considering their stance on the trade war. Alberta and Saskatchewan have rejected suggestions that they impose export levies on natural resources such as oil and potash in retaliation for US tariffs, with Premier Smith saying that such a move would be "disastrous" and would harm not just Albertans but also other provinces.

The federal government has announced its plan to impose countertariffs on hundreds of US exports, including clothing and apparel, appliances, and dairy products. However, it has removed seafood and fish products from the list of counter-tariffs due to concerns about broader economic harms. The US has warned that further Canadian retaliation will not be tolerated.

The trade war is also being used as a rallying cry by some who are opposed to separation. A pro-unity group called Forever Canadian has seen an increase in support and interest in its patriotic lawn signs, with over 11,000 viewers attending an online town hall meeting last weekend.

Written for “Canada US Trade Dispute Escalation” on 2026-10-16, grounded in this article and the 53 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Canada US Trade Dispute Escalation
Politics · 54 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans left and hedges 15% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
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“Both articles report on the breakdown of trade negotiations between the US and Canada, resulting in a trade war, with similar details and timelines.”
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⚖️ Leans left 🔴 5% hedged 4 of 73
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Canada announces 'dollar-for-dollar' retaliatory tariffs on US as high as 50% same event · 100%
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⚖️ Leans left 🔴 10% hedged 3 of 29 📰 publisher trust 69
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Canada retaliates in rapidly escalating U.S. trade war same event · 100%
Los Angeles Times
⚖️ Leans left 🔴 21% hedged 8 of 38 📰 publisher trust 95
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Carney’s retaliatory tariffs ‘are very much a tax on ourself’: Trevor Tombe same event · 100%
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“Both articles mention the trade war between US and Canada, specifically the introduction of retaliatory tariffs by Canada on September 8, which is described in similar terms”
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Mother Jones
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“While both articles mention the trade war and tariffs imposed by Canada on the US, they discuss different aspects of the issue and provide distinct perspectives.”
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“Article A describes the trade war escalation between US and Canada, while Article B discusses consumer response to tariffs imposed by US on Canada”
How far will the US-Canada trade war go? different event · 90%
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⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 5 📰 publisher trust 60
“Article A describes a specific tariff announcement on September 8, while Article B mentions talks breaking down without specifying further details”
Where Trump’s trade war with Canada could backfire | About That same event · 90%
CBC News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 100% hedged 2 of 2 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles report on the ongoing trade war between the US and Canada, with a focus on tariffs imposed by both countries, specifically mentioning that Canada will match US tariffs 'dollar for dollar' starting September 8th”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
26
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
15%
4 of 26 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
68/100
The Guardian's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
54
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-08-26 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

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Running correction rate · 4 correction(s)
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Who wrote this

Lauren Aratani in New York
3 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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2026-09-15 · mixed framing · US treasury secretary hails government’s buy back of bonds a success
🔮 After trade negotiations broke down between the two countries last weekend, Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, vowed to match US tariffs “dollar for dollar” and unveiled a list of nearly 900 American goods that will face 25% to 50% tariffs starting on 8 September.
2026-08-26 · assertive framing · Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada
Also by Lauren Aratani in New York
Key US voters say economy is getting worse ahead of midterms, exclusive poll finds
2026-10-15 · The Guardian
US treasury secretary hails government’s buy back of bonds a success
2026-09-15 · The Guardian
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

Topics

American Canada Canadian North Americans Washington DC

Subjects

American NORP · 12× Canada GPE · 9× Canadian NORP · 9× Trump PERSON · 3× Charmin ORG · 1× Mark Carney PERSON · 1× North Americans NORP · 1× Procter & Gamble ORG · 1× Washington DC GPE · 1× the World Bank ORG · 1×

Narrative

Carney has asked province leaders to consider putting American liquor back on the shelves, though as the Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston told CBC News: “Whether Nova Scotians or Canadians will actually buy it when it’s back on the shelves, that’s a whole other discussion.”
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-08-26
🔮 After trade negotiations broke down between the two countries last weekend, Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, vowed to match US tariffs “dollar for dollar” and unveiled a list of nearly 900 American goods that will face 25% to 50% tariffs starting on 8 September.
2026-08-26 · The Guardian
Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada · assertive framing

Claims (26 extracted, 4 hedged)

Using the bathroom or having a cry is about to become more expensive for North Americans as the US and Canada enter a full-fledged trade war that threatens to flush away decades of peaceful trading between the two nations. asserted
that → use → nations
After trade negotiations broke down between the two countries last weekend, Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, vowed to match US tariffs “dollar for dollar” and unveiled a list of nearly 900 American goods that will face 25% to 50% tariffs starting on 8 September. asserted
that → break → September
Paper products are among the hardest-hit sectors, with Canada threatening to put tariffs of between 25% and 50% on “toilet paper or face tissue stock” from 8 September in retaliation for a 50% hike from Washington DC. asserted
Canada → hit → DC
Though American toilet paper and tissues are often made domestically, they heavily rely on lumber-rich Canada for raw materials. asserted
they → make → materials
Procter & Gamble, the owner of Charmin toilet paper, said last year that it would have to increase prices amid tariffs that were in place at the time. asserted
that → say → time
The US imported $328m worth of toilet paper from Canada in 2024, according to the World Bank, making it by far the largest exporter of the product to the US. uncertain
it → import → US
Retailers including Costco source much of their paper products from the country. asserted
Retailers → include → country
The US accounts for more than 20% of global tissue consumption despite having only 4% of the world’s population. asserted
US → account → population
The average American uses 141 rolls of toilet paper per year, making them No 1 for No 2s globally, just ahead of Germans, each using an average of 134 rolls annually. asserted
each → use → rolls
It’s not just paper products that could rise in price. uncertain
that → ’ → price
The trade war highlights the deep economic ties shared between the two countries as consumers continue to worry about inflation on both sides of the border. asserted
consumers → highlight → border
US tariffs are specifically affecting Canadian liquor, including popular whiskey brands Crown Royal and Canadian Club, which are currently under a 50% tariff. asserted
which → affect → tariff
While Canada has not introduced a tariff on American liquor, most Canadian provinces have introduced their own bans on American alcohol, in retaliation for earlier tariffs on Canadian products. asserted
provinces → introduce → products
Donald Trump used these province-wide bans on American alcohol as part of his legal justification for his new tariffs against Canada. asserted
Trump → use → Canada
Carney has asked province leaders to consider putting American liquor back on the shelves, though as the Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston told CBC News: “Whether Nova Scotians or Canadians will actually buy it when it’s back on the shelves, that’s a whole other discussion.” asserted
that → ask → shelves
Trump also said that his new tariffs are in retaliation for Canadian levies against the American dairy industry. asserted
tariffs → say → industry
He introduced a 50% tariff on nearly all Canadian dairy products, with the exception of Canadian cheese. asserted
He → introduce → cheese
In response, Canada has a 50% tariff on American dairy products, along with a 25% tariff on American cheese. asserted
Canada → have → cheese
Canada also took a swing at the US fishing industry, with a 25% tariff on American fish and seafood, including frozen lobster. asserted
Canada → take → lobster
The move prompted Republican senator Susan Collins, facing a tough re-election battle in lobster-capital Maine, to call Trump’s latest move “a mistake”. asserted
move → prompt → move
A 25% tariff on Canadian cars and auto parts is set to affect the American auto industry, which relies heavily on Canadian parts for manufacturing. asserted
which → set → manufacturing
Trump has threatened to double the tariff to 50% if a deal isn’t made by 1 January 2027. asserted
deal → threaten → January
With negotiations down the drain, it’s unclear if or when the tariffs will be lifted. uncertain
tariffs → ’ → drain
But the Trump administration is adamant that “there’s no possible way” the trade dispute with Canada will affect US consumers, according to Jamieson Greer, the US trade representative. uncertain
dispute → ’ → Greer
“The fundamentals are good,” he said. asserted
he → say → ?
“I don’t think this is going to affect anything.” asserted
this → think → anything
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