Trump’s Commerce Department floats new medical device tariffs to ‘protect national security’
President Donald Trump’s administration revealed on Friday that it intends to review the current supply chain for personal protective equipment, medical consumables and medical devices to see if domestic production can meet the demand. As part of the investigation, federal regulators will attempt to gauge the economic impact of imports, specifically how “state-sponsored overproduction” in countries like China may "artificially" set prices.
According to a notice published in the Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Commerce commenced the inquiry on Sept. 2, looking into production and trade of everything from surgical masks to syringes, pacemakers, blood glucose monitors, wheelchairs, IV bags, medical imaging systems and more.
Central to the notice are global tariffs imposed by Trump. Here, the administration said their determinations about the security of the supply chain, and the ability of the U.S. to onshore manufacturing, will determine “whether additional measures, including tariffs or quotas, are necessary to protect national security.”
However, there were no specifics provided in terms of who would be targeted, for how much, and what the metric will be to determine if and when a new import tax is warranted.
Now accepting comments
With the notice published, the Commerce Department is now opening its investigation to public comment from industry stakeholders for the next 21 days. Statements on manufacturing capability, supply chain security, and other central issues surrounding the economics of medical equipment will ideally be used to help the agency to craft its report.
In May, Scott Whitaker, the CEO of medtech lobby Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), called for all products necessary for patient care to be exempt from tariffs, arguing that it was “essential that this industry is protected for humanitarian reasons.”
AdvaMed represents over 600 companies, most of which manufacture or develop medical devices and hospital equipment.
In response to the Trump administration’s new filing in the Federal Register, Whitaker released a new statement, saying that AdvaMed looks “forward to continuing our work with the [Trump administration], including through the Commerce Department’s investigation, to strengthen our already-robust and uniquely American industry.”
“We believe this process will reinforce the fact that U.S. medtech manufacturing is strong and lower tariffs will fuel more manufacturing and job growth in the U.S., which means greater access to lifesaving technologies and lower costs to American hospitals and patients,” he added.
This is a developing story.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.