US President Donald Trump said he would soon announce “important” duties on imported medicinal products, a move that could put an end to low -cost global trade in drugs.

For years, most countries, including the US, have imposed little or no duties on medicines, partly thanks to a World Trade Organization Agreement (WTO) in 1995 with the aim of maintaining the drugs at affordable prices. This change comes after Trump imposed a 10% general duty on other imports last week.

Its new “reciprocal” duties – including the duty of 104% in the goods arriving from China – came into force on Wednesday, intensifying a world trade war and further shaking the markets.

According to the BBC, buyers of pharmaceuticals, who have so far been escaped from related measures, are now preparing for what can be followed. The US usually introduces huge amounts of final drugs from India, Europe and China without buyers paying duties – although the active pharmaceuticals (APIS) used to make medicines are subject to some duties.

Speaking to a capital concentration dinner for his Republican Party on Tuesday, Trump said: “We will soon announce a major duty on medicinal products. And when they hear that, they will leave China. “

He also told reporters last week that “pharmaceutical” duties would reach “at a level you have really never seen”, noting that they will be announced “in the near future”.

In 2024, the United States introduced medicines worth $ 213 billion ($ 168 billion), that is, worth two and a half times and more than total imported drugs a decade earlier.

His statements have caused a turmoil for buyers, especially those based on Indian imports. India supplies almost half of all US generics or cheaper versions of popular drugs and the country thus saves billions in relation to healthcare costs.

Indian pharmaceutical shares retreated abruptly after this news. India sends about one -third of the annual exports of $ 13 billion in the US, which is the main market. At the moment, Americans are paying little or no tax on imports of Indian drugs – as opposed to the almost 11% duty paid by Indians for imported American drugs.

Indian pharmacists warn that duties will force them to raise prices, which could eventually increase medical accounts in the US.

European drug manufacturers are also on the alert. Following a high -level meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Laien and leading pharmaceutical companies on Tuesday, the European Federation of Pharmaceuticals and Associations (EFPIA) warned that duties could shift production from Europe and Europe.

EFPIA, whose members include large pharmaceutical companies such as Bayer, Novartis and Novo Nordisk – the OZEMPIC drug production company for type 2 diabetes – expressed concern that increasing duties could disrupt Europe’s role as a key factor in world pharmaceutical production.

In 2024, pharmaceuticals were EU’s largest export to the US, worth $ 127 billion (£ 100 billion).

Big companies have urged the EU to act quickly, seeking policy changes to enhance Europe’s competitiveness. They also expressed concerns about potential duties in the context of EU retaliation, who could disrupt supply chains and affect patients on both sides of the Atlantic.

Global pharmaceutical giants such as GSK and Pfizer are active in many countries, including Ireland and Germany, which means that new duties could disturb many parts of the supply chain.