North Americans face rising costs for everyday essentials as the United States and Canada enter a trade war that threatens decades of peaceful commerce between the two nations.

After trade talks collapsed last weekend, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a retaliatory tariff plan targeting nearly 900 American goods. These tariffs, ranging from 25% to 50%, will take effect on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Paper products are among the hardest hit sectors. Canada plans to impose tariffs between 25% and 50% on "toilet paper or face tissue stock" in response to a 50% tariff hike by the US. Although American toilet paper and tissues are often produced domestically, they depend heavily on Canadian lumber for raw materials. According to the World Bank, the US imported $328 million worth of toilet paper from Canada in 2024, making Canada the largest exporter of these products to the US. The US consumes over 20% of the world's tissue despite having only 4% of the global population.

Procter & Gamble, owner of Charmin toilet paper, indicated last year that tariffs already in place had forced price increases.

US tariffs also target Canadian liquor, including popular whiskey brands Crown Royal and Canadian Club, which currently face a 50% tariff. Carney has urged provincial leaders to consider restocking American liquor, though Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston expressed uncertainty about whether Canadians would purchase these products once available again.

Despite the escalating trade tensions, the US administration, through Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, maintains there is "no possible way" the dispute will impact American consumers.

Sources