US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. [EPA]
US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. [EPA]

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that all generic drugs imported into the United States would face a two-year tariff exemption starting Aug. 1, followed by a 100% tariff for one year and a 200% tariff thereafter.

Trump posted the announcement on his Truth Social account, saying the policy was aimed at "bringing generic drug production back to the United States."

Earlier, on April 2, Trump signed an executive order imposing tariffs on pharmaceuticals and their active ingredients under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, citing the need to strengthen national security and public health. Under that order, certain large companies were set to face 100% tariffs on patented drugs and ingredients starting July 31, with other companies subject to the same rate from Sept. 29.

Tuesday's announcement replaced that timeline with a two-year reprieve, setting 2028 as the new start date and laying out a phased tariff schedule.

Countries that have reached trade agreements with the United States — including South Korea, EU member states, Japan and Switzerland — would face a 15% tariff on pharmaceutical products.

Trump said companies that fail to establish factories and production facilities in the United States within the designated period "will face penalties," adding that "the purpose of this policy is to protect the American people." He also said existing policies on patented, brand-name and innovative drugs "will continue to succeed," and that "an unprecedented scale of pharmaceutical production facilities is currently being built across the United States."


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