Trump Announces 100% Tariffs on Imported Drugs Not Made in U.S.
WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump is moving to impose a 100% tariff on pharmaceutical products imported into the United States that are not manufactured within the country, escalating a trade strategy focused on incentivizing domestic production. The move, signaled in posts on his Truth Social platform, represents a important expansion of his administration’s previous tariff actions and aims to reshape the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Trump has repeatedly discussed tariffs on imported goods since returning to the political spotlight, with medicines being a key focus. He has stated an exception will be made for drugs produced by companies “building a plant in the United states.”
This action builds upon tariffs already in place. This summer, the Trump administration imposed a 15% tariff on most pharmaceutical products from the European Union, part of a broader effort to address trade imbalances. Initially, Trump suggested these rates would begin low, perhaps rising to 150% and 250% in the following year, but the initial implementation has been higher than anticipated.
The new tariffs place pharmaceuticals alongside other sectors previously targeted by trump’s trade policies, including automobiles, aluminum, steel, and copper, all subject to a 50% tariff. He has also implemented what he terms “reciprocal” tariffs, levied against countries he believes have historically taken advantage of the United States in trade.
These “reciprocal” tariffs vary considerably by country. Afghanistan, New Zealand, and Ecuador face a 15% tariff, while Taiwan and sri Lanka are subject to 20%. Iraq and Switzerland face 35% and 39% tariffs respectively, with Myanmar and Laos at 40% and Syria at 41%. Brazil currently faces the highest tariff, at 50%, in response to the conviction of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, on charges related to an attempted coup.
