Trump to impose major tariffs on foreign-made pharmaceuticals

04/12/2025 / By Laura Harris

President Donald Trump plans to impose major tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals to push manufacturers to relocate production to the U.S., leveraging America’s dominant market share.
The policy aims to incentivize companies to abandon China and other countries by penalizing foreign-made drugs, ultimately boosting domestic production.
Trump framed the tariffs as critical for national interests, criticizing past U.S. leadership for allowing China’s dominance and vowing a tougher stance.
He asserted that the tariff rollout would fuel a Republican landslide in the 2026 midterms, despite market concerns and GOP resistance to his unilateral trade powers.
While Trump remains confident, bipartisan pushback (e.g., bills requiring congressional tariff oversight) highlights tensions over potential economic fallout from aggressive trade policies.

President Donald Trump has signaled a forthcoming crackdown on foreign-made pharmaceuticals, vowing to use tariffs to force drug manufacturers to bring production back to American soil.

Speaking at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) dinner on April 8, Trump revealed his plans to impose major tariffs on foreign-made pharmaceuticals to reshore American manufacturing.

“We’re going to do something that we have to do: We’re going to tariff our pharmaceuticals. And once we do that, they’re going to come rushing back into our country because we’re the big market. The advantage we have over everybody is that we’re the big market,” Trump said during the NRCC dinner.

Details of the new pharmaceutical tariffs were not immediately released, but the president suggested they would incentivize multinational drug companies to relocate production to the United States.

“We’re going to be announcing very shortly a major tariff on pharmaceuticals. And when they hear that, they will leave China. They will leave other places because they have to sell – most of their product is sold here – and they’re going to be opening up their plants all over the place in our country. We’re going to be announcing that. So, that’s breaking news,” he continued.

“What other presidents allowed China to get away with is absolutely criminal. But I’m not like the other presidents – and it’s not going to happen under President Trump. It’s just not going to happen,” Trump said during the NRCC fundraising dinner.

Trump: New tariffs will bolster GOP’s chances in 2026 midterm elections

Along with the announcement, Trump claims that the new tariffs will bolster GOP’s chances in the 2026 midterm elections, even as markets dipped and some in his own party push back against unchecked executive trade powers.

“We’re going to win the midterm elections and we’re going to have a tremendous, thundering landslide. I really believe that,” Trump said during the same event. “It is so important that we pass the big, beautiful bill. And I really think we’re helped a lot by the tariff situation that’s going on, which is a good situation. It’s going to be legendary, you watch.”

Trump’s approach has exposed rifts within the GOP. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers, including Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), is advancing legislation to curb presidential tariff authority, requiring congressional approval for duties lasting beyond 40 days. Critics argue that unchecked tariffs risk economic instability and trade wars.

But Trump insisted his strategy would galvanize voters. “The party is doing well and there is no reason why we shouldn’t get together and win these midterms and win them by a lot,” Trump said. “We won’t just keep our majorities; we’ll expand our majorities by a lot.” (Related: Trump’s 25% auto tariffs shake industry, but Tesla stands strong.)

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Watch Tom Philipson and Steve Moore explaining that President Donald Trump uses tariffs effectively in this clip.

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