President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States will impose a 100% tariff on "any branded or patented Pharmaceutical Product" entering the country starting October 1, marking a significant escalation in his administration's efforts to bring pharmaceutical manufacturing back to American soil.
The measure will not apply to companies building drug manufacturing plants in the U.S., Trump said in a post on Truth Social. The exemption covers projects where construction has started, including sites that have broken ground or are under construction. "There will, therefore, be no Tariff on these Pharmaceutical Products if construction has started," Trump stated.
Tariff Policy Evolution
The announcement represents a dramatic shift from Trump's earlier position outlined in a cabinet meeting, where he had threatened 200% tariffs but promised to give the industry "about a year, a year and a half" to adjust their supply chains. "We'll give them a certain period of time to get their act together," Trump had said according to Bloomberg reporting.
However, the current 100% tariff rate is actually lower than the up to 250% rate Trump had floated in August during a CNBC "Squawk Box" interview. In that discussion, Trump said he would initially impose a "small tariff" on pharmaceuticals, but then in a year to a year and a half "maximum," he would raise that rate to 150% and then 250%.
Industry Impact and Response
The tariffs target branded or patented pharmaceutical products—drugs sold under trade names and protected by patents or other intellectual property, which block generic competition until those protections expire. This represents a long-awaited blow to pharmaceutical companies that have pushed back against such measures.
Industry leaders have consistently warned that tariffs could drive up costs, deter investments in the U.S., and disrupt the drug supply chain, ultimately putting patients at risk. The pharmaceutical sector is already navigating proposed drug pricing policies and a massive overhaul at the Department of Health and Human Services under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Despite the threats, market reaction has been muted. The S&P Biotech ETF maintained a price of about $85 following Trump's earlier tariff discussions. Analysts at Leerink Partners had previously called Trump's announcements "positive" for biopharma "because tariffs will not be implemented immediately... and it is unclear if the administration will follow through in the future."
Manufacturing Investment Response
Companies have already begun responding to tariff threats by ramping up manufacturing investments in the U.S. Sanofi announced a $20 billion domestic package in May 2025, with the goal of adding "a significant number of high-paying jobs" in the country through 2030.
The Trump administration initiated a Section 232 national security investigation into pharmaceutical products in April, examining imports of "finished drug products, medical countermeasures, critical inputs such as active pharmaceutical ingredients, and key starting materials, and derivative products of those items." According to Leerink, this probe remains ongoing.
Broader Trade Policy Context
The pharmaceutical tariffs are part of Trump's broader trade strategy, announced alongside a 25% duty on heavy trucks and a 50% levy on "all Kitchen Cabinets, Bathroom Vanities, and associated products," all taking effect October 1.
The administration also launched fresh national security investigations on Wednesday into imports of robotics, industrial machinery, and medical devices. These latest probes expand the list of goods that could face higher tariffs to include personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, N95 respirators, gloves and other medical consumables, including syringes and needles.
Any new duties resulting from sector-specific probes would be stacked on top of Trump's country-specific tariffs, though the European Union and Japan have reached agreements that could shield them from extra levies.
