World's Largest Exporter of Toilet Paper Pulp Sends Update on Shortages

Anyone who was around during the 2020 pandemic remembers what it was like to not be able to find toilet paper at local stores. As soon as lockdowns began, Americans ran to the closest grocery stores to scoop up all the toilet paper they could find, and that left the country with a major toilet paper shortage.

At one point, Americans increased their toilet paper buying by 102% over the previous year amid the pandemic. Other items, such as cleaning products, also experienced a big shortage during the pandemic, but toilet paper was the most high-profile item that flew off shelves.

Now, Brazilian pulp exporter Suzano SA is warning that supply chain disruptions due to new U.S. tariffs could result in a shortage of toilet paper, although so far, store shelves around the country are well stocked.

Suzano SA is the world's largest exporter of pulp, which is a main, raw ingredient in the manufacturing of toilet paper. According to a Bloomberg news report, leadership from Suzano SA says that in April, it experienced a 20% decrease in shipments to the U.S.. The company also told Bloomberg that the new costs will eventually make the cost of toilet paper go up for American consumers.

In general, Brazilian imports are dealing with a tariff of at least a 10%, and steel from Brazil is being faced with a 25% tariff, according to a report by the Associated Press.

"It wasn’t that long ago that the pandemic snarled shipments of toilet paper the world over," Bloomberg stated in a May 8 feature.

Bloomberg added that Suzano SA, "The company has seen that export levies have led to a decline in shipments of the product from Brazil to the US, Chief Executive Officer João Alberto de Abreu said in an interview The Sao Paulo-based company is now passing tariff costs on to U.S. buyers, he added."

Related: Toilet Paper Replacement Gains Popularity Amid Shortage Worries