Trump plans 100% tariff on generic drugs from August 2028

WASHINGTON – Generic drug manufacturers will have two years to move production to the US or face a 100 per cent import duty from August 2028, President Donald Trump said in a social media post on July 21.

That levy would then double a year later, to 200 per cent, in August 2029.

“This is done in order to RESHORE Generic Pharmaceutical Production into America, with a penalty to those Companies that decide not to build Plant and Equipment within the stated period of time given to them,” Trump said in the post.

Trump has seized on the cost of drugs as a key driver of affordability concerns ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

He has long complained about differences between what consumers pay in the US compared to foreign markets, and has repeatedly sought to cut that gap. The administration also recently launched a direct-to-consumer discount drug sales platform it branded as TrumpRX.

The White House has repeatedly set delayed tariff implementation dates with a looming deadline of devastating consequence as a means of creating leverage for future deals with countries and companies alike.

The president has urged pharmaceutical companies to manufacture more of their medicines in the US, and in April 2025 his administration began a probe of the industry on national security grounds under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.

Trump said his administration’s tariff plans related to patented drugs would remain unchanged. That plan would seek tariffs of as much as 100 per cent on certain imported medicines, though with several major exceptions.

Most of the world’s biggest drugmakers, including Merck & Co and Eli Lilly & Co, sidestepped the punitive moves by striking agreements with the administration. Bloomberg