President Donald Trump's 10% tariff rule on imports coming from China could negatively impact and delay several pharmaceutical drugs that many Americans rely on to treat cardiovascular conditions, hypertension and host of other health issues.
According to an article published by Vox on Feb. 5, the Office of Generic Drugs, which produces more than 90% of prescription medications filled in the US, relies heavily on Chinese chemical imports to manufacture life-saving drugs need for Americans across the nation. However, with the current tariff policies in place, there is a growing risk of drug shortages or even a potential trade war, which could cause further delays in the supply chain.
The Peterson Institute for International Economics notes that, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), a wide range of essential medications have been imported from China since 2005. These include common analgesics (painkillers), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, psychoactive medications such as diazepam, blood thinners, antipyretics like aspirin, medications for cardiovascular issues.
RELATED CONTENT: Donald Trump's China Tariff Could Hurt Fast Fashion Brands SHEIN, Temu And More
Blood pressure regulators and diuretics, often called "water pills," are also at risk of delays or shortages. Diuretics are used to help the body remove excess salt and water by increasing urine production and are commonly prescribed to treat conditions such as high blood pressure (hypertension), heart failure, kidney disease, and edema (fluid retention).
Black Americans are disproportionately affected by heart disease and hypertension, putting the community at greater risk of serious health consequences if tariffs disrupt medication imports.
Other Chinese-produced medications that could be under threat are antibiotics, anticonvulsants and antihistamines, which are prescribed to treat allergic reactions and and allergy symptoms.
At a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting on Feb.18, China criticized President Trump's imposition of the 10% tariff, warning that such "tariff shocks" could disrupt global trade, according to Reuters. In response, Beijing announced retaliatory tariffs and plans to file a WTO dispute against the U.S. administration.
"'These 'Tariff Shocks' heighten economic uncertainty, disrupt global trade, and risk domestic inflation, market distortion, or even global recession,' China's ambassador to the WTO Li Chenggang said at a closed-door meeting of the global trade body, according to a statement sent to Reuters," the outlet reported. "Worse, the U.S. unilateralism threatens to upend the rules-based multilateral trading system."
The escalating tariff war comes at a time when the U.S. saw a decline in drug shortages in 2024, according to a report from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). The number of active drug shortages dropped to 271, down from an all-time high of 323 in the first quarter of 2024, with new shortages also falling to the second-lowest total since 2007.