Pharma tariffs: The EU's confident it can dodge US measures

Published on 26/09/2025 - 16:02 GMT+2

The Commission is assured that nan EU pharmaceutical manufacture will avoid a caller 100% tariff complaint announced by US President Donald Trump connected Thursday and believes nan assemblage will stay covered by the waste and acquisition statement it concluded successful July pinch nan US, establishing a 15% tariff headdress connected EU imports.

“This clear all-inclusive 15% tariff ceiling for EU exports represents an security argumentation that nary higher tariffs will look for European economical operators. The EU is nan only waste and acquisition partner to execute this result pinch nan US,” EU Commission lawman spokesperson Olof Gill said connected Friday.

According to nan Commission, nan US intends to “promptly ensure” that nan tariff complaint connected pharmaceuticals does not transcend 15%, contempt President Trump announcing connected societal media that he would enforce 100% tariffs connected pharmaceutical narcotics imported into nan US.

“Starting October 1st, 2025, we will beryllium imposing a 100% tariff connected immoderate branded aliases patented pharmaceutical product, unless a institution is building their pharmaceutical manufacturing works successful America,” Trump wrote connected Truth Social. “There will, therefore, beryllium nary tariff connected these pharmaceutical products if building has started.”

The US implements its portion of nan EU-US waste and acquisition deal

EU officials judge that nan US has truthful acold been keeping its broadside of nan woody agreed this summer, which makes them assured they will debar Trump’s recently announced tariffs connected pharma.

However, it remains a humble victory, arsenic US tariffs connected EU pharmaceutical products antecedently stood astatine 0%.

Dublin—whose pharmaceutical manufacture is nan astir exposed successful nan EU to US trade—remained cautious successful consequence to Trump's announcement.

“We will beryllium studying nan effect of this announcement,” Ireland’s lawman premier minister, Tánaiste Simon Harris said successful a statement, adding, however, that “the EU and US Joint Statement issued connected 21 August past made perfectly clear that immoderate caller tariffs announced by nan US connected pharmaceuticals nether its Section 232 investigation would beryllium capped astatine 15% for pharma products being exported by nan EU.”

After respective weeks of delay, nan US this week yet reduced its duties connected EU cars from 27.5% to 15%, successful statement pinch nan deal.

But trade negotiations are ongoing, with the US continuing to use tariffs of 50% to EU alloy and aluminium. In a associated connection astatine nan extremity of August nan parties indicated they hoped to scope an statement connected tariff complaint quotas for nan sector.

Negotiations are besides ongoing to unafraid much exemptions, beyond those already granted by nan White House connected aircraft, definite generics and chemicals, and circumstantial earthy resources.

Wines and spirits are now a apical privilege for nan Commission, nether beardown unit from France, Italy, and Spain to supply alleviation to their industries.