Smurfit WestRock is evaluating the potential consequences of proposed 25% U.S. tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, which could affect its North American supply chain.
Speaking on Inside Business, an Irish Times podcast, CEO Tony Smurfit acknowledged the risks to the company’s Canadian mill, which primarily supplies the U.S. market. “If you have a tariff on paper going into the U.S. that makes it 25% more expensive, it’s just not going to work,” he said, noting that countermeasures from Canada could offset some impacts.
Smurfit emphasized that tariffs could disrupt business operations and consumer confidence. The company, which employs around 100,000 people globally, recently merged with WestRock in a $24 billion deal, making it the world’s largest paper and packaging group. Despite concerns, Smurfit WestRock remains optimistic, believing that economic reasoning will ultimately prevail.
