Trump slaps up to 100% tariff on some brand-name drug imports in major America First push

By Fox News · Fox News

President Donald Trump on Thursday proclaimed that certain imported patented pharmaceuticals and related ingredients could face tariffs of up to 100%, framing the move as a national security measure and intensifying his push to bring drug manufacturing back to the United States. The proclamation creates a tiered system for drugmakers: companies with Commerce Department-approved plans to onshore production could face a 20% tariff instead, while some firms that strike pricing and manufacturing agreements with the administration could receive zero-tariff treatment for a period. A senior administration official said the policy amounts to a "100% tax" on drugs produced abroad. Trump’s proclamation states that imported pharmaceuticals and key ingredients "are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States." TRUMP’S NEW TARIFF PLAN BARRELS BACK TO COURT FOLLOWING MULTISTATE LAWSUIT The move sets up a major clash over the cost and supply of brand-name medicines, as Trump argues the U.S. is overly dependent on foreign pharmaceutical manufacturing while offering lower tariffs to companies that build in America. According to the proclamation, about 53% of patented pharmaceutical products distributed in the U.S. are produced abroad, while only 15% of patented active pharmaceutical ingredients by volume are made domestically. VOTERS REACT AS TRUMP TOUTS SIGNATURE TARIFF PLAN AT STATE OF THE UNION Under the framework, imports of patented pharmaceuticals listed in Annex I will face a 100% tariff, unless they qualify for lower rates. Companies with approved onshoring plans can instead receive a 20% tariff, though that rate rises to 100% in 2030, according to the proclamation. The administration is using that structure to push companies to shift production to the United States , officials said. TRUMP RAISES GLOBAL TARIFF TO 15% The proclamation also sets lower tariff rates for…