Trump targets pharmaceuticals with potential 200% import tariffs

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that his administration plans to impose tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals that could reach as high as 200%, aiming to encourage domestic drug manufacturing.

“We’re going to give people about a year, a year and a half to come in, and after that, they’re going to be tariffed,” Trump said during a White House Cabinet meeting. “If they have to bring the pharmaceuticals into the country, they’re going to be tariffed at a very, very high rate, like 200%.”

In addition to pharmaceuticals, Trump indicated tariffs may also be applied to semiconductor imports and other key products. “We’re going to be announcing pharmaceuticals, chips, and a couple of other big ones,” he said, while also announcing a new tariff rate on copper. He did not specify when these additional tariffs would be announced.

The move follows an investigation launched by the Trump administration in April into the pharmaceutical industry, driven by concerns that heavy reliance on foreign production threatens national security.

Trump has emphasized the need for the U.S. to increase domestic drug manufacturing to reduce dependence on other countries. “We need to manufacture our drugs in the United States,” he said.

The proposed tariffs form part of a broader strategy to bolster American manufacturing and reshape global trade relationships.