The president of the United States, Donald Trump, speaks with members of the press at the Lehight Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA, August 3, 2025.
Ken cedeno | Reuters
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday “Squawk Box” of CNBC that planned tariffs on pharmaceutical products imported to the United States could eventually reach up to 250%, the highest rate that has threatened so far.
He said that he will initially impose a “small rate” to pharmaceutical products, but then in a year and a half “maximum”, he will raise that rate to 150% and then 250%.
The president has repeatedly threatened and then changed course in rates proposals, so there is no guarantee that he will eventually establish pharmaceutical tariffs at the 250%rate. In early July, Trump had threatened with 200% of tariffs on pharmaceutical products.
The Trump Administration in April initiated a so -called section 232 on pharmaceutical products. That is a legal authority that allows the Secretary of Commerce to investigate the impact of imports on national security.
Tariffs are the president's commitment to encourage pharmaceutical companies to transfer manufacturing operations to the US. UU. At a time when domestic drug production has been drastically reduced in recent decades. In the last six months, companies such as Eli Lilly and Johnson and Johnson They have announced new investments in the United States to build goodwill with the President.
“We want pharmaceutical products to be done in our country,” Trump told CNBC.
The planned encumbrances would hit the pharmaceutical industry, which warned that tariffs could increase costs, deter the investments in the US. UU. And interrupt the medication supply chain, putting patients at risk. Drug manufacturers are already browsing the consequences of Trump's drug policies, which argue threaten both their results and their ability to invest in research and development.
That includes Trump's executive order in May that revives a controversial plan, the “most favored nation” policy, which aims to reduce the costs of medicines by linking the prices of some medications in the United States to the significantly lower abroad.
On Tuesday, Trump told CNBC that “he invoked” the “most favored nations” policy and will have a “tremendous impact on the price of medicine.” But Trump has not officially implemented any change in the executive order.
Last week, Trump sent letters to 17 medications manufacturers that asked them to commit themselves to the steps to reduce the prices of medicines in the United States before September 29. That includes accepting to provide its complete portfolio of existing medications at the lowest price offered in other nations developed to each medical patient, among other steps.
Some pharmaceutical companies have said they are checking the cards.
