Washington: In a major move aimed at overhauling the U.S. trade landscape, U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed sweeping new tariffs on foreign imports, with a dramatic 200% import duty on medicines not manufactured in the United States and a 50% tariff on imported copper. The announcement, made at a campaign event in Ohio, signals Trump’s renewed push for a more protectionist trade regime under his “America First” vision.
Trump argued that foreign companies—particularly in the pharmaceutical and mining sectors—have long exploited American consumers and markets without contributing to domestic job creation. “The era of letting other countries profit from our people is over,” he said, emphasizing that the U.S. must become self-reliant in producing essential goods, from medicines to metals used in national infrastructure and defense.
The new tariff plan includes a broader “reciprocal tariff” strategy, which Trump has advocated for since his first term. Under this approach, the U.S. would match or exceed any tariffs imposed on American exports by other countries. “If they tax our goods, we tax theirs. It’s only fair,” Trump said.
The proposed 200% tariff on imported medicines is expected to hit global pharmaceutical exporters hard—particularly India, which supplies a significant portion of generic drugs to the U.S. Indian pharma firms may be forced to relocate manufacturing to American soil or face sharp declines in competitiveness due to the inflated costs.
Industry analysts warn that while the move could benefit U.S.-based manufacturers in the long term, American consumers may experience short-term pain, especially in the form of higher drug prices and limited availability of certain medications.
The 50% duty on copper, meanwhile, is aimed at ramping up domestic mining and refining of a resource critical to modern infrastructure. Copper is a key material used in electric vehicles, defense systems, and national energy grids. By penalizing imports, Trump hopes to drive investment in U.S. copper production and reduce reliance on countries like Chile and Peru.
