
U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced Monday that their two international locations had agreed to a 30-day pause on reciprocal tariffs as a commerce struggle loomed.
“Proposed tariffs can be paused for not less than 30 days whereas we work collectively,” Trudeau posted Monday afternoon on X, saying that his authorities would title a fentanyl czar, checklist Mexican cartels as terrorist teams and launch a “Canada- U.S. Joint Strike Power to fight organized crime, fentanyl and cash laundering.”
The Division of Finance Canada introduced Sunday it’ll impose 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion price of products imported from america, together with two dental objects: dentifrices and dental yarn efficient Feb. 4.
“The most recent Canadian response didn’t embrace many merchandise utilized in dental practices, aside from dental floss and toothpaste,” the Canadian Dental Affiliation (CDA) informed Oral Well being Group.
The tariffs are a tit-for-tat transfer after Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Canada on Saturday. Nevertheless, vitality sources from Canada had been to face a decrease 10 per cent tariff.
Though the Canadian authorities was in a roundabout way concentrating on a variety of dental merchandise, the CDA warned that oblique results of the tariffs—similar to inflation, provide chain disruptions, and potential manufacturing sector downsizing—may nonetheless drive up prices.
“Tariffs on U.S. imports will result in elevated prices for varied dental merchandise imported from the U.S., which represented roughly 41 per cent of Canada’s dental-related imports in 2023,” the CDA mentioned. “General, worth will increase will probably be handed alongside to Canadian dentists and, probably, their sufferers.”

Loonie drops as tariffs take impact
The Canadian greenback fell under 68 cents U.S. for the primary time in additional than 20 years on Monday earlier than rebounding to roughly $1.45 per U.S. greenback. The volatility adopted information that Trump granted Mexico a one-month delay on the tariffs after a cellphone name with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Through the name, Sheinbaum agreed to deploy 10,000 Nationwide Guard troops to fight drug trafficking on the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump justified the tariffs as essential to “shield” Individuals from “the main menace of unlawful aliens and lethal medication,” together with fentanyl. Nevertheless, Canada accounts for simply 0.2 per cent of fentanyl seizures on the U.S. border.

Dentists to face rising prices
Gurtej Varn, a B.C.-based wealth advisor at White Coat Monetary Inc., which serves dentists completely, informed Oral Well being Group that delivery and provide chain disruptions would make it troublesome for dental professionals to search out inexpensive options if the tariff had been to take impact.
“Dentists are going to be paying extra for merchandise, particularly when factoring in cargo prices,” Varn mentioned. “Will probably be onerous to search out a direct substitute, and each Canadians and Individuals should sustain with larger costs. Initially, individuals within the U.S. will in all probability nonetheless purchase from me. Take lumber, for instance—they will’t simply develop timber and produce lumber in a single day. It takes years for timber to mature.”
The U.S. exported US$551 million in dental merchandise globally in 2022, with Canada being the most important importer, accounting for US$206 million of these exports, in response to information from the MIT Media Lab’s Observatory of Financial Complexity. In the identical 12 months, the U.S. imported US$411 million price of dental merchandise, making it the world’s largest importer within the class. The vast majority of U.S. dental product imports got here from Mexico (US$216 million), adopted by Eire (US$61.3 million), Canada (US$37.9 million), China (US$22.7 million), and India (US$15.7 million).
Colgate-Palmolive, which has expanded its U.S. manufacturing by 40 per cent up to now 5 years, lately signaled that it’s bracing for potential worth hikes on toothpaste on account of tariffs.
“The exact impression will depend upon components similar to the particular merchandise affected, provide chain changes, and whether or not different import sources can be found.”
CDA
Is Canada collateral harm?
Earlier than Trump’s choice to pause the tariffs after a cellphone name from Trudeau, Varn speculated that Trump might be utilizing Canada to ship a message to China, a rustic the U.S. president has beforehand focused with protectionist insurance policies.
“It’s doable that Canada is merely collateral harm on this scenario,” he mentioned. “I actually consider the U.S. is primarily concentrating on China. They may be signaling, ‘Hey, we imposed tariffs on our greatest commerce companion—what do you suppose we’ll do with you?’ Trump might be utilizing Canada as a bargaining chip to safe a cope with China, solely to later return and say, ‘I acquired who I actually wished—now let’s negotiate one thing between us.’”
CDA monitoring the scenario
The CDA will proceed monitoring how tariffs impression dental provides past toothpaste and floss.
“Because the scenario evolves, we’re monitoring whether or not affected merchandise may embrace dental drill engines, devices and home equipment, oral hygiene preparations, dental cements, and dental fittings, that are important to dental practices,” the CDA mentioned. “The exact impression will depend upon components similar to the particular merchandise affected, provide chain changes, and whether or not different import sources can be found.”