The Irish Independent’s View: Ireland must proceed with caution after Donald Trump’s threat of increased pharma tariffs

Donald Trump has threatened to hike tariffs on pharmaceutical products. Photo: Getty

Is there to be no escape from tariff derangement syndrome? A day before the new EU-agreed 15pc tariff regime comes into force, Donald Trump has reloaded his bazooka with a threat of up to a 250pc hit on pharma exports from Europe.

“We’ll be putting an initially small tariff on pharma­ceuticals, but in one year – one-and-a-half years, maximum – it’s going to go to 150pc and then it’s going to go to 250pc because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country,” Mr Trump warned.

In his second coming, the US president has honed his superpower for wreaking economic havoc. Were he to write ano

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