By Serge Desgagnés, Executive Director , Canadian Corrugated & Containerboard Association (CCCA)
The Canadian Corrugated & Containerboard Association (CCCA) is urging the federal government to take decisive action as potential U.S. tariff measures threaten one of North America’s most integrated supply chains.
In a letter to Ottawa, the CCCA warns that tariffs on corrugated packaging and containerboard could disrupt cross‑border material flows that manufacturers, retailers and distributors rely on daily. Canada and the U.S. operate a highly interconnected system in which containerboard, corrugated sheets, finished boxes and recycled fibre routinely move back and forth as part of production and distribution processes.
Almost every product category—from groceries and pharmaceuticals to e‑commerce shipments and industrial goods — depends on corrugated packaging at some point in its supply chain. The CCCA says tariff‑driven friction would have consequences far beyond the packaging sector itself.
“Everything moves in a box,” says Serge Desgagnés, Executive Director of the CCCA. “If you disrupt the box, you disrupt the system. Tariffs may appear narrow in scope, but their impact would be felt across every sector that relies on goods moving efficiently.”
The CCCA has outlined several concerns for policymakers:
- Higher costs for manufacturers: corrugated packaging is a universal input. Tariffs would raise costs that flow directly into production and distribution.
- New inefficiencies and delays: cross‑border movements of containerboard and finished packaging could face added complexity, forcing companies to adjust sourcing and inventory strategies.
- Consumer impact: increased packaging costs typically move through the supply chain, ultimately affecting retail prices.
- Effects on Canadian facilities and workers: the broader paper packaging sector employs 27,000 Canadians, many in communities where packaging plants are major local employers. Tariff uncertainty could influence production planning, investment decisions and job stability.
- Broader economic exposure: statistics Canada’s 2025 GDP data shows the scale of the industries connected to corrugated packaging: $3.4 bn for pulp, paper and paperboard mills (NAICS 3221) and $2.5 bn for converted paper product manufacturing (NAICS 3222). While these figures extend beyond CCCA members alone, they underscore the potential implications of tariffs on “cartons, boxes and cases of corrugated paper or paperboard.”
The CCCA is urging government officials to recognize corrugated packaging as critical supply chain infrastructure rather than a niche manufacturing segment. Maintaining stability in the Canada–U.S. packaging system is essential to protecting manufacturers, retailers, consumers and the communities that rely on packaging sector jobs.
