Overview
- President Trump signed decrees that add tariffs to imported medicines and to finished products with high steel, aluminum or copper content.
- Companies face grace periods before drug surcharges start, with 120 days for large firms and 180 days for smaller ones if production stays abroad.
- Drug rates differ by outlet, with AFP citing a 15% surcharge on EU-made medicines and up to 100% for countries without U.S. trade deals, while Augsburger Allgemeine reports a general 100% rate on patented drugs and notes exemptions for the EU, Switzerland, the UK and Japan.
- Finished goods that are more than 15% steel, aluminum or copper will be hit with a flat 25% tariff under the new metals rules.
- A separate change bases the long-standing 50% metals duty on U.S. market prices rather than the exporter’s price, which could raise many import bills.