Drugs: US tariffs could rise to 250% within a year

Donald Trump's tariff inflation continues unabated: this Tuesday, August 5, the American president is increasing the pressure, this time on the pharmaceutical industry. He intends to implement sectoral tariffs, similar to what has already been done on the automobile industry (25%) since his return to power. The objective: national reindustrialization. Regarding pharmaceutical products, the surcharge will be progressive. Initially "low" , "in a year, a year and a half at most, it will be 150 % and then it will be 250 % because we want medicines manufactured in our country," the American head of state affirmed this Tuesday in an interview with the television channel CNBC.

This isn't the first time Donald Trump has targeted the sector. In early July, he already mentioned a 200% surcharge on pharmaceutical products imported into the United States if their production wasn't quickly repatriated to American soil. According to Tuesday's interview, he expects an official announcement "approximately" next week.

This surcharge could seriously affect the European economy : pharmaceutical products are among the largest exports from the Old Continent to the United States, worth nearly 120 billion euros in 2024 (22.5% of total exported goods), according to Eurostat.

The White House tenant isn't just attacking where drugs are produced. He also wants to lower their prices, which are on average significantly higher in the United States than in the vast majority of other industrialized countries. He has therefore written to 17 companies in the sector, asking them to lower the prices of their products or face reprisals. He has issued one of his usual ultimatums: they have until September 29 to submit "firm commitments" to this effect.