Trump administration drops plan for tariffs on generic drugs

  • The Trump administration ruled out tariffs on generic drugs, narrowing its pharmaceutical trade probe under Section 232. The shift eases fears of sweeping levies on the vast majority of U.S. medicines and reverses an earlier pledge to onshore all essential drug production.
Trump pharma

The Trump administration has decided not to impose tariffs on generic drugs, narrowing the scope of its ongoing pharmaceutical trade investigation.

The Wall Street Journal carry the report. More:

Officials confirmed that the White House is no longer actively considering Section 232 tariffs on generic pharmaceuticals under the national-security probe initiated earlier this year. The decision follows internal debate over whether to use tariffs to bring drug manufacturing back to the U.S.

President Trump had previously threatened 100% tariffs on name-brand drugs, though he later delayed implementation to allow for negotiations with pharmaceutical companies. Generics—accounting for roughly 90% of all U.S. prescriptions—will be exempt for now, according to White House and Commerce Department spokespeople.

The move marks a major scaling-back of the Commerce Department’s initial investigation, which had targeted both generic and non-generic medicines as well as drug ingredients. It also reverses an earlier campaign pledge to restore production of essential generic drugs to the United States.

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