The US has decided to impose new 100% tariffs on imports of branded and patented drugs to encourage drugmakers to increase production in the States and move production abroad, the Financial Times (FT) reported.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the tariffs, which are expected to be announced soon by the White House, are imposed on drugs from companies that failed to reach agreements with the US administration.
These measures are the fulfillment of threats made by US President Donald Trump in the fall of 2025. At that time, he announced his intention to impose 100% tariffs on pharmaceutical products. Exceptions will be made for manufacturing companies that have already started building their factories in the United States, he said.
Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Novo Nordisk are among the companies that have reached an agreement with the US administration for investment in the US and lower drug prices in exchange for tariff exemptions.
On April 2, 2025, the US president announced tariffs on products from 185 countries and territories. He later changed the tariffs on imported goods from a number of countries. On August 29, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the president did not have the necessary authority to impose many of the tariffs he announced. On September 4, the US administration filed a petition with the Supreme Court to overturn this order.