Left-wing outlets fear toilet paper shortage due to Trump tariffs

The media is dialing up the doomsaying over the impact of President Donald J. Trump’s foreign tariffs and is going back to the well of perhaps the most successful fearmongering campaign of all time.

According to one left-leaning mainstream outlet, the tariffs could lead to a repeat of the great national toilet paper shortage of 2020, when mass hysteria stoked by the media sparked a panic that drove Americans to hoard bathroom tissue, leaving stores with barren shelves and forcing retailers to impose rationing measures.

Toilet paper shortage could be coming to US thanks to Trump tariffs https://t.co/ivoHm79m6Q pic.twitter.com/jmrS9QzH9i

— NY Post Business (@nypostbiz) May 9, 2025

Bloomberg went to the chief executive of the world’s largest Brazilian pulp exporter to make the case that the America First leader’s efforts to rebalance trade with exploitative foreign countries could once again lead to a shortage of the one product that nobody can live without.

“In response to the tariffs, we’ve had to pass increased costs on to US buyers,” said João Alberto de Abreu of Suzano SA, which produces the bleached hardwood pulp that’s used by domestic manufacturers to manufacture toilet paper.

“Pulp isn’t just another commodity,” Abreu said. “It’s at the heart of some of the most essential products we use every day.”

The São Paulo-based company told the outlet that Trump’s tariffs have disrupted shipments of the raw material, and the company reported a 20 percent drop in exports to the United States last month, compared to the prior year.

Abreu’s warming was also cited by the New York Post, further elaborating on Bloomberg’s reporting which is behind a paywall.

“Since customers are still struggling to forecast how tariffs can affect their production plans, either directly or indirectly, all pulp buyers and sellers are in price-discovery mode,” Leonardo Grimaldi, Suzano SA executive vice president, reportedly said during an earnings call, according to the Post which reported that he explained that “the entire industry is entering a phase of instability.”

Another left-wing propaganda outlet, the once anti-establishment Rolling Stone, is also doing its part to push the buttons of gullible Americans with an unverifiable story claiming that Trump administration officials are stocking up on toilet paper, food and other essential items in anticipation of spiking prices and shortages.

Spooked By Trade Wars, Trump Officials Hoard Supplies: ‘It Would Be Stupid Not To!’

Trump administration officials are stockpiling toilet paper and food before Trump’s tariffs cause prices to skyrocket.

Story: https://t.co/cPIraU03GV pic.twitter.com/qsymSjA6Eh

— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) May 1, 2025

“Two Trump administration officials and a Trump aide tell Rolling Stone that they have dome some stockpiling of their own in recent weeks or months, and that they know others now working in Republican politics – inside and outside the administration – who are doing the same,” the outlet claimed.

“One of the Trump officials says that they have already run to Target to bulk-buy toilet paper, some types of food, and other household supplies,” according to Rolling Stone, which did not name any of its sources, who may not even exist.

When it comes to stirring the panic pot, what’s old is new again.

Staff Writer

Chris Donaldson is an ordinary American who is concerned about rampant corruption as well as the ongoing attacks on our way of life by those who have contempt for our hard-earned freedoms. A Navy veteran, he has been a frequent contributor to conservative websites and resides in Florida.

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