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Trump threatens to end pharmaceuticals tariff exemption
BBC ^ | April 09, 2025 | Rachel Hagan , Archana Shukla

Posted on 04/09/2025 7:42:18 AM PDT by Red Badger

US President Donald Trump says he will soon announce "major" tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals, a move that could end decades of low-cost global trade in medicines.

For years, most countries, including the US, have imposed few or no tariffs on finished drugs, thanks in part to a 1995 World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement aimed at keeping medicines affordable.

This shift comes after Trump introduced a blanket 10% tariff on other imports last week, as part of a broader effort to bring manufacturing back to the US.

His new "reciprocal" tariffs - including a duty of 104% on goods arriving from China - came into force on Wednesday, intensifying a global trade war and further shaking markets.

Pharmaceutical buyers, so far spared from such measures, are now preparing for what may come next.

The US has typically imported vast quantities of finished medicines from India, Europe and China without buyers paying tariffs - although active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), used to make drugs, do face some duties.

Speaking at a fundraiser dinner for his Republican Party on Tuesday, Trump said: "We're going to be announcing very shortly a major tariff on pharmaceuticals. And when they hear that, they will leave China."

He also told reporters on board his Air Force One plane last week that "pharma" tariffs would arrive "at a level that you haven't really seen before", saying these would be announced "in the near future".

In 2024, the US imported $213bn (£168bn) worth of medicines - more than two and a half times the total a decade earlier.

While short on detail, his comments have rattled buyers, especially those relying on Indian imports. India supplies nearly half of all US generics, or cheaper versions of popular drugs, saving the country billions in healthcare costs.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: bigpharma; pharma; tariffs
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1 posted on 04/09/2025 7:42:18 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

The price will go up, and potentially the availability of drugs will go down.

Before the price goes down and we’re making everything we need.

This one’s spooky.


2 posted on 04/09/2025 7:46:38 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Red Badger

This is the first tariff that should have gone up.


3 posted on 04/09/2025 7:48:36 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Mariner

far less spooky than continuing to rely on China for all our meds!


4 posted on 04/09/2025 7:49:06 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Mariner
This one’s spooky.

It's necessary to break the manufacture of pharmaceuticals in China and destroy the imbalance of pricing right now where Big Pharma purposefully charges the US way more than everyone else for the same drug so we basically paying for everyone elses drugs.
5 posted on 04/09/2025 7:49:37 AM PDT by SoConPubbie (Trump has all the right enemies, DeSantis has all the wrong friends.)
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To: Red Badger

This one could tip the scales against Trump and his tariff policy; unfortunately, domestic manufacturing of pharma is unlikely to offset the impact, and the enemedia scum will be visiting assisted living facilities 24/7 to “report” the dramatic impact on “the most vulnerable”, as if they give a crap.


6 posted on 04/09/2025 7:51:53 AM PDT by Common Sense 101
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To: SoConPubbie

pay the research


7 posted on 04/09/2025 7:53:12 AM PDT by joshua c
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To: Mariner

Just to point this out....Argentina has the most robust drug/Pharmacy industry....in this region (other than Mexico). In three months, if you sought a deal...they could replace China.


8 posted on 04/09/2025 7:54:18 AM PDT by pepsionice
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To: Common Sense 101
domestic manufacturing of pharma is unlikely to offset the impact.

Certainly not as quickly as people will need those medications. The same also is true of a ton of components for manufacturers in other industries. Domestic replacement sources are not going to come online in weeks, and in many cases, it will be years.

So what happens in the meantime?

9 posted on 04/09/2025 7:56:28 AM PDT by Bruce Campbells Chin ( )
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To: Mariner

Yup. Takes a long time to build an API or finished pharma plant. Very specialized manufacturing and we don’t have a lot of expertise left in this area.


10 posted on 04/09/2025 7:56:30 AM PDT by oldskoolwargamer2
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To: Common Sense 101
...unfortunately, domestic manufacturing of pharma is unlikely to offset the impact,...

It would, eventually.

So how long will that take, and what happens in the interim?

11 posted on 04/09/2025 7:56:47 AM PDT by FreeReign
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin
The drugs from China will still be imported and available after any tariff is applied. A tariff is not an embargo. Do you people know the difference?
12 posted on 04/09/2025 7:58:26 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: Mariner
the availability of drugs will go down.

Why?

13 posted on 04/09/2025 7:59:12 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: FreeReign

https://www.fiercepharma.com/manufacturing/plan-build-4-more-plants-eli-lilly-doubles-down-literally-its-manufacturing-pledge

Good summary of what kind of effort building an API/pharma plant involves.

As a reference Lilly plans to have these facilities in production by 2030. Seems about right, these are complicated manufacturing processes.


14 posted on 04/09/2025 8:01:12 AM PDT by oldskoolwargamer2
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To: SoConPubbie

The Chinese have chemicals like lead in the pharmaceuticals shipped here ALSO after testing being done on MANY drugs they ARE NOT compounded correctly SO they may not be helping patients the way they should be WE NEED to get pharmaceuticals back on our own soil ASAP!! Trusting pharmaceuticals to a communist country is utter insanity, we don’t hate our legislators enough, bastards have NEVER given a thought to a damn thing EXCEPT putting money into their own damn pockets!!!


15 posted on 04/09/2025 8:01:30 AM PDT by Trump Girl Kit Cat (Yosemite Sam raising hell)
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

Maybe the big companies need to change their practices a LOT faster. That is what I would do to avoid financial disaster. Or, are they going to be like smokers? You know it’s costing you an arm, a leg and a lung and will kill you, but you keep doing it. Same for homosexuals except for the costs (and certain loss of one’s soul).


16 posted on 04/09/2025 8:03:51 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
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To: Red Badger

Expect shortages and price increase until the predicted domestic drug factories arrive — if they arrive despite all the environmental obstacles to building things here in the USA.


17 posted on 04/09/2025 8:03:56 AM PDT by Socon-Econ (adi)
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To: FreeReign

Get a hard copy of your prescriptions from your Dr.
Get on the Internet
Use an international Mail order pharmacy
Ship via Air mail

Takes 2-3 weeks.

The savings in medicine costs easily offsets the shipping costs


18 posted on 04/09/2025 8:05:46 AM PDT by Justa (Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people....)
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To: central_va
the availability of drugs will go down.

Why?


Exactly - the COST will likely change, but availability isn't in the equation.
19 posted on 04/09/2025 8:06:18 AM PDT by larrytown (A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do. Then they graduate...)
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To: Trump Girl Kit Cat
...we don’t hate our legislators enough, bastards have NEVER given a thought to a damn thing EXCEPT putting money into their own damn pockets!!!

Uh, you and I haven't talked enough. Legislators behavior can be changed.

20 posted on 04/09/2025 8:07:33 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
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