Britain would face 100% tariff on pharmaceuticals under latest Trump plan, sources say

WASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Britain would face 100% tariffs on pharmaceuticals imported into the U.S. under President Donald Trump's latest plan, sources told Reuters on Friday.

Trump announced on Thursday that he was imposing a 100% tariff that would apply to firms unless they build a manufacturing presence in the United States.

The European Union and Japan are exempt from Trump's latest tariff threat because both negotiated trade deals that capped pharmaceutical duties at 15%, Reuters previously reported.

Britain was the first nation to strike a trade deal with Trump, but the pharmaceutical rate remains under negotiation, so Britain is not shielded from the new tariffs, a source told Reuters on Friday.

Trump has framed the move as part of a broader push to onshore drug production and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains, a priority of his administration’s trade and industrial policy.

Pharmaceutical imports from Britain accounted for about 3.3% of total pharmaceutical imports to the U.S. in 2024, according to U.S. trade data.