Pharmaceutical industry leaders are expressing concerns over the potential imposition of significant tariffs on medicines exported from Europe to the United States. The Research Association of Pharmaceutical Companies (VFA) has cautioned that such measures could have far-reaching consequences for global supply chains and impact the cost of drug production, ultimately affecting patient access both in the U.S. and Europe.
Speaking to the “Rheinische Post”, VFA President Han Steutel highlighted the potential for tariffs as high as 200 percent, which he says is causing considerable uncertainty within the sector. The proposed tariffs appear linked to a push from certain political figures advocating for increased domestic manufacturing of pharmaceuticals within the United States.
While pharmaceutical companies acknowledge the desire for greater investment and production within the U.S., industry representatives emphasize that transitioning manufacturing capacity requires substantial time and resources. Building new facilities, for example, typically takes well over a year – a timeframe considerably longer than the accelerated response seen during the rapid production of the BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which required a mobilized effort to establish manufacturing in just 12 months.
Mr. Steutel indicated that reciprocal price increases within the European market are unlikely, citing an inability for pharmaceutical companies to adjust pricing across the continent. The potential impact on the wider pharmaceutical landscape remains under observation.
