WASHINGTON D.C.: In a major development for international trade, Washington has announced that select speciality medications and related components originating from India and 19 other partner jurisdictions will be exempt from import duties. The decision comes as the United States moves forward with a sweeping 100 per cent levy on specified patented pharmaceutical lines. To formalise these changes, the US Commerce Department released an official list within the Federal Register detailing the nations qualifying for the zero-duty framework.
Under the guidelines, the waived categories feature medications geared towards rare medical conditions, fertility treatments, advanced cell and gene therapies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and veterinary pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, the foundational components utilised in manufacturing these treatments are covered under the zero per cent tariff provision.
Alongside India, the participating regions benefiting from the exemption comprise 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. Clarifying financial terms, the World Customs Organisation defines an ad valorem tariff as “a set percentage of the monetary value of the goods to be taxed”.
According to official notices, qualifying goods exported from these nations secure a zero per cent rating by virtue of maintaining an active or upcoming trade and security framework agreement with Washington. This regulatory update directly stems from the execution of President Donald Trump’s April directive, which adjusted duties on imported pharmaceuticals and related chemical components under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.
The original April 2 proclamation instituted a 100 per cent duty on specified patented drugs, biologics, and associated ingredients as part of broader initiatives to stimulate domestic manufacturing. While those penalties became active on July 31 for entities cited in an initial annex, they expand to encompass other listed corporations starting September 29.
At the same time, the Commerce Department confirmed that generic medical products and their constituent ingredients remain entirely exempt from these Section 232 pharmaceutical tariffs.
Recent administrative adjustments also introduce vital technical revisions to the foundational proclamation. These modifications formally update the description of “generic pharmaceutical articles” to explicitly incorporate unpatented animal health products, alongside clarifying that the category of “pharmaceutical articles” strictly covers finished medications, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and key starting materials.
Source : ANI
