U.S. Waives Tariffs on Specialty Drugs from India and 19 Other Countries
· Business · The Hindu
The U.S. will impose zero tariffs on certain specialty drugs and their components imported from India and 19 other countries, effective September 29, 2026. Eligible products include treatments for rare diseases, infertility, cell and gene therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, and animal pharmaceuticals. The waiver is published in the Federal Register by the U.S. Commerce Department as it prepares to impose a 100% tariff on other patented pharmaceutical imports from the same date. The exemption applies to countries with current or forthcoming trade and security framework agreements with the U.S. Besides India, the list includes Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ecuador, El Salvador, the European Union, Guatemala, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, North Macedonia, South Korea, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Taiwan, Thailand, Britain, and Vietnam. The measure implements President Donald Trump's April 2 proclamation aimed at encouraging domestic production of patented pharmaceuticals.
Why it matters
Indian pharmaceutical exporters of specialty drugs will benefit from zero tariffs on eligible products entering the U.S. market, potentially increasing competitiveness. The move may affect pricing and availability of advanced therapies like gene and cell treatments in the United States.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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