Donald Trump has threatened sweeping new trade measures on the pharmaceutical sector, warning that imports of branded medicines will face a 100% tariff from 1 October 2025 unless manufacturers commit to producing in the US.
Announcing the plan on his Truth Social platform, the US president said the penalties would only hit branded or patented drugs, not generics, and that companies could avoid the duties if they had broken ground on a domestic plant. “There will, therefore, be no tariff… if construction has started,” he wrote.
The move marks a sharp escalation in Trump’s America-first strategy. Pharmaceuticals had previously been left out of his “reciprocal tariffs” initiative, but he has been promising additional duties on pharma products for some time. A separate pact with the EU capped tariffs at 15%, with Brussels assuming this covered medicines. It is not yet clear whether Trump plans to override that arrangement. Switzerland had also negotiated exemptions for its pharma exports while accepting higher tariffs on other goods.
In anticipation of pressure from Washington, drugmakers including AstraZeneca, GSK, Novartis, AbbVie and Roche have already announced fresh US investment or begun construction of new plants.
The president unveiled the pharma tariff alongside fresh duties on a range of imports. Trucks manufactured overseas would carry a 25% levy, bathroom vanities and cabinets 50% and upholstered furniture 30%. Trump framed the measures in national security terms, saying the health of America’s trucking industry was vital, and accusing foreign suppliers of “flooding” the market with furniture.
