Washington will start with a low tariff rate and give companies “a year or so” to move production to the U.S., after which the tariff will become “very high,” said U.S. President Donald Trump.

The United States will impose customs tariffs on pharmaceutical products, likely by the end of this month. This announcement was made by U.S. President Donald Trump.

“We’ll probably impose the tariffs at the end of the month,” Bloomberg quoted him as saying. The head of the White House noted that Washington would start with a low tariff rate and give pharmaceutical companies “a year or so” to relocate their production to the U.S., after which the tariff would become “very high.” Trump also said he was considering a similar timeline for imposing tariffs on semiconductors.

According to Bloomberg, the new restrictions could take effect on August 1, alongside previously announced additional tariffs on imports from several countries.

The agency notes that Trump had earlier stated he expected tariffs on pharmaceutical products to rise to 200%. This would happen after the one-year grace period given to companies to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. Additionally, the U.S. president has already launched an investigation into the country’s pharmaceutical imports, which will be conducted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, allowing the president to restrict imports in the interest of national security.

On May 12, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at reducing drug prices in the U.S. by 59–90%. At a press conference, he said he would impose tariffs on pharmaceuticals if domestic prices did not match those in other countries. In April, Trump announced that the upcoming tariffs on pharmaceutical products being prepared by his administration could amount to 25%.

Source: TASS, July 16, 2025