Latest news with #SuzanoSA
Economic Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Trump's trade war about to leave Americans with empty bathroom shelves? Check details
Are Americans about to face shortage of toilet papers in the United States? Suzano SA, Brazil's leading pulp exporter, reports a 20% drop in bleached hardwood pulp exports to the US due to Trump's tariffs, impacting toilet paper production. Increased costs are passed to US buyers, raising concerns of potential shortages reminiscent of the 2020 pandemic panic. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads US to face shortage of toilet paper? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads US President Donald Trump's trade war is raising an alarm among paper suppliers — one that could lead to a dreaded shortage in US supermarkets of a household staple: toilet paper. Suzano SA , Brazil's top pulp exporter, has issued a dire warning that Trump's new tariffs are disrupting shipments of a key material used in manufacturing toilet paper and other hygiene SA produces bleached hardwood pulp used by many American manufacturers. It has reported a 20 percent drop in US-bound exports in April compared to the same time last year, according to the New York Post.'In response to the tariffs, we've had to pass increased costs on to US buyers,' said Suzano CEO João Alberto de Abreu to Bloomberg News. Brazil, along with many other countries—excluding China—now faces a 10% tariff on exports to the São Paulo-based company warned that continued trade barriers could worsen supply chain tensions and push prices higher. Brazil, like other US trading partners with the exception of China, currently faces a 10% universal tariff on warning revives memories of the 2020 pandemic when there was a shortage of toilet papers, sparked by panic buying and pandemic-related logistics snarls, remain fresh for many consumers. While current store shelves remain stocked, industry analysts say it wouldn't take much to trigger renewed instability in the paper supply chain — especially if US buyers begin stockpiling in anticipation of further trade is not the only one raising concerns. Several other global suppliers have flagged the potential for new bottlenecks in essential goods if the tariff fight company's warnings also highlight a broader trend: the risk that trade disputes, once focused on high-tech or luxury goods, are now ensnaring basic commodities critical to everyday one of the world's largest producers of pulp, has become a flashpoint in the latest trade skirmish. With the US hiking tariffs across a range of imports as part of Trump's aggressive trade policy, Brazilian exporters are scrambling to protect market share while navigating higher which was a key supplier during the pandemic-era toilet paper crunch, says it is working to adapt. But the company cautions that sustained pressure from tariffs could create ripple effects that hit American consumers where it counts: the bathroom.'Pulp isn't just another commodity,' Abreu said. 'It's at the heart of some of the most essential products we use every day.'Last month, Apollo Global Management issued a stark warning that U.S. store shelves could be empty within weeks due to steep tariffs on Chinese imports proposed by Donald Trump—an economic shock that could potentially trigger a recession by Slok, Apollo's chief economist, presented a timeline detailing how the disruption of supply chains could unfold: halted shipments from China by mid-May, product shortages and declining retail sales by late May, followed by job losses in both the trucking and retail some analysts suggest that current inventory levels might cushion the initial impact, Slok warned of 'COVID-like shortages' as Chinese goods stop arriving, potentially bringing large segments of the economy to a standstill and pushing the U.S. into a recession by mid-2025.
Fast Company
13-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Why a Brazilian pulp exporter is raising fears of another toilet paper shortage
Everyone has their individual bad memories of the pandemic, but one collective nightmare of the early days of that miserable period is the struggle to find toilet paper at the local store. Now, tariffs are bringing concerns about a toilet paper shortage back to the forefront. Suzano SA is the world's largest exporter of pulp, the raw material for products like toilet paper. And the company tells Bloomberg it has seen shipments decline from Brazil to the U.S. due to tariffs and worries the shipping disruptions could get worse. It is, to be clear, much too early to know what the impact of pulp shipping disruptions will be. The company said shipments were down 20% in April and stores, at present, are well stocked. But tariffs could result in higher prices for consumers, which could lead to a rush by some people to stock up. A similar scenario happened last October when a strike by dock workers on the East Coast sent shoppers flocking to stores, emptying shelves of necessities, including toilet paper. Toilet paper and paper towels are largely produced in the U.S. (Just 10% of the country's toilet paper is imported.) But the pulp used to make them is imported from countries like Brazil and Canada (which sends northern bleached softwood kraft pulp our way). It doesn't take an actual shortage to empty store shelves. Just growing talk of one can cause short term disruptions to the supply chain. Put another way: there's a snowball effect. If a small number of people panic shop, that drives others to do so as well. So if shoppers notice there's less toilet paper on the shelves than usual, they're more likely to stock up just in case, due to recent talk of empty ports and looming product shortages. Suzano is still shipping products to the U.S., but not only is it shipping less, it's charging more. The company says it is passing on the cost of tariffs to U.S. buyers, which could be part of the reason for the smaller orders. 'Since customers are still struggling to forecast how tariffs can affect their production plants, either directly or indirectly, both pulp buyers and sellers are on a price discovery mode as we speak,' Leo Grimaldi, executive vice president at Suzano said on a recent call with analysts. 'There is not clarity yet of what is this price point needed for a full establishment of market confidence and dynamics.' Like the dock worker's strike last year, the trade war was something that was clearly telegraphed by the White House. That gave manufacturers like Kimberly-Clark and Georgia-Pacific time to stockpile pulp to keep retail prices level. Should a herd mentality lead to product shortages, however, that could lead to store managers putting buying limits on popular items. (The danger of that is by limiting what you can buy, it could drive people who were not planning on buying any to join in on the hoarding.) Americans certainly love their toilet paper (which is somewhat ironic, as it didn't become a household staple until the 1940s). At the start of the pandemic, when the panic buying was in full effect, Americans spent $1.4 billion on toilet paper over a four week period in March/April of 2020, according to retail sales tracker IRI. That was a 102% increase from the same period a year before, which led to a widespread toilet paper shortage. We're not alone. In Hong Kong after the pandemic got underway, armed robbers held up a supermarket. They weren't interested in the cash registers. They did, however, take 600 rolls of toilet paper.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Is the U.S going to face toilet paper shortages due to Donald Trump's tariffs? Here's what the world's largest supplier of pulp is saying
Anyone who survived the panic buying of toilet paper and subsequent empty shelves at the beginning of the 2020 pandemic recalls the chaos. Now, a new alert from the world's biggest supplier of pulp hints that the United States might be on the verge of running short again on toilet papers, this time because of US tariffs , not a virus, as per a report. #Operation Sindoor The damage done at Pak bases as India strikes to avenge Pahalgam Why Pakistan pleaded to end hostilities Kashmir's Pahalgam sparks Karachi's nightmare Brazil's Pulp Giant Cautions of Toilet Paper Shortage Suzano SA , a Brazilian firm and the world's leading exporter of pulp, which is the raw material that goes into making toilet paper, has revealed that new US tariffs imported by US president Donald Trump are already affecting the supply chain, according to Bloomberg. During an interview with Bloomberg, CEO João Alberto de Abreu shared that in just April, Suzano's pulp exports to the United States dropped by 20%, as per the report. The company also mentioned that it would add the extra costs of these export duties to the US consumers , according to Bloomberg. The Trump administration placed at least a 10% tariff on Brazilian imports , while certain materials, such as Brazilian steel, are being taxed even higher at 25%, as per the Associated Press. Though shelves are currently well-stocked, Suzano's chief executive officer warns that the mix of reduced shipments and increasing costs may eventually trickle down to consumers. That could mean higher prices, or even shortages, of toilet paper soon. Live Events A Familiar Warning Bloomberg reminded readers in its May 8 feature story that, "It wasn't that long ago that the pandemic snarled shipments of toilet paper the world over." FAQs What's causing the potential toilet paper shortage ? New US tariffs on Brazilian imports are reducing pulp shipments and increasing costs. Should I start stocking up on toilet paper again? Not yet, but it's better to stay informed in case supply chain disruptions worsen.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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 of 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."Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Trump's trade war about to leave Americans with empty bathroom shelves? Check details
US President Donald Trump's trade war is raising an alarm among paper suppliers — one that could lead to a dreaded shortage in US supermarkets of a household staple: toilet paper. Suzano SA , Brazil's top pulp exporter, has issued a dire warning that Trump's new tariffs are disrupting shipments of a key material used in manufacturing toilet paper and other hygiene products. #Operation Sindoor India responds to Pak's ceasefire violation; All that happened India-Pakistan ceasefire reactions: Who said what Punjab's hopes for normalcy dimmed by fresh violations Suzano SA produces bleached hardwood pulp used by many American manufacturers. It has reported a 20 percent drop in US-bound exports in April compared to the same time last year, according to the New York Post. 'In response to the tariffs, we've had to pass increased costs on to US buyers,' said Suzano CEO João Alberto de Abreu to Bloomberg News. Brazil, along with many other countries—excluding China—now faces a 10% tariff on exports to the US. ALSO READ: From pledging to end Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours to being 'sarcastic', how Trump backed from his promise US to face shortage of toilet paper? The São Paulo-based company warned that continued trade barriers could worsen supply chain tensions and push prices higher. Brazil, like other US trading partners with the exception of China, currently faces a 10% universal tariff on exports. Live Events The warning revives memories of the 2020 pandemic when there was a shortage of toilet papers, sparked by panic buying and pandemic-related logistics snarls, remain fresh for many consumers. While current store shelves remain stocked, industry analysts say it wouldn't take much to trigger renewed instability in the paper supply chain — especially if US buyers begin stockpiling in anticipation of further trade disruptions. Suzano is not the only one raising concerns. Several other global suppliers have flagged the potential for new bottlenecks in essential goods if the tariff fight escalates. The company's warnings also highlight a broader trend: the risk that trade disputes, once focused on high-tech or luxury goods, are now ensnaring basic commodities critical to everyday life. ALSO READ: Trump claims credit for India-Pakistan ceasefire but is 'frustrated' with Russia-Ukraine conflict Brazil, one of the world's largest producers of pulp, has become a flashpoint in the latest trade skirmish. With the US hiking tariffs across a range of imports as part of Trump's aggressive trade policy, Brazilian exporters are scrambling to protect market share while navigating higher costs. Suzano, which was a key supplier during the pandemic-era toilet paper crunch, says it is working to adapt. But the company cautions that sustained pressure from tariffs could create ripple effects that hit American consumers where it counts: the bathroom. 'Pulp isn't just another commodity,' Abreu said. 'It's at the heart of some of the most essential products we use every day.' ALSO READ: 'I still have chills...': US journalist hails Operation Sindoor in Pak's Bahawalpur where her colleague Daniel Pearl was beheaded Last month, Apollo Global Management issued a stark warning that U.S. store shelves could be empty within weeks due to steep tariffs on Chinese imports proposed by Donald Trump—an economic shock that could potentially trigger a recession by summer. Torsten Slok, Apollo's chief economist, presented a timeline detailing how the disruption of supply chains could unfold: halted shipments from China by mid-May, product shortages and declining retail sales by late May, followed by job losses in both the trucking and retail sectors. While some analysts suggest that current inventory levels might cushion the initial impact, Slok warned of 'COVID-like shortages' as Chinese goods stop arriving, potentially bringing large segments of the economy to a standstill and pushing the U.S. into a recession by mid-2025.
