Tariffs Won’t Secure Our Drug Supply Chain

"Imposing Section 232 tariffs on medicines would worsen shortages, drive up prices, and leave patients with fewer options," writes Pipes. getty

The Trump administration is considering massive “Section 232” tariffs on imported medicines from key U.S. allies, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, and South Korea. While tariffs on some countries, such as EU member states, could be capped at 15%, other tariffs could reportedly be set as high as 250%. Either way, the swift result would be empty shelves at pharmacies nationwide.

The U.S. drug supply chain is deeply intertwined with the rest of the free world. For branded medicines, American patients rely primarily on medicines manufactured in the United States. But they also rely on dozens of medicines that