Trump Imposes Sweeping Tariffs on Pharmaceuticals, Trucks and Furniture Imports

Published: 26 September 2025. The English Chronicle Desk

The White House has announced a fresh wave of tariffs on a range of imported goods, targeting the pharmaceutical, automotive and furniture industries in one of the most sweeping protectionist measures of Donald Trump’s second presidential term. The new duties, unveiled on Thursday through the president’s preferred platform, Truth Social, will see branded and patented pharmaceutical imports face tariffs of up to 100 per cent beginning 1 October unless companies move production to the United States. Heavy-duty trucks will be subjected to a 25 per cent tariff, while kitchen and bathroom cabinets will attract a 50 per cent levy. Additional measures will also extend to upholstered furniture, which will face a 30 per cent tariff starting next week.

In a statement defending the tariffs, President Trump said the measures were necessary to protect domestic manufacturers against what he described as a large-scale “flooding” of products from foreign countries. “These industries have been under siege from unfair outside competition,” the president wrote. “American companies will be protected from the onslaught of outside interruptions.” The announcement marks the latest escalation of Trump’s aggressive trade agenda, which in recent months has expanded to cover more than 90 countries under blanket tariffs, while also targeting individual industries ranging from steel and aluminium to vehicles and copper.

The new pharmaceutical tariffs are among the most controversial aspects of the package. They target some of America’s closest trading partners, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Japan, all of which are major exporters of branded drugs to the US market. The United Nations reported that the UK alone exported more than $6 billion (£4.5 billion) worth of pharmaceuticals to the US in 2024. For companies based in Europe and Asia, the tariffs present both a significant financial challenge and a test of supply chain resilience.

European officials were quick to respond. Ireland’s Trade Minister Simon Harris insisted that the tariffs should not apply to European producers, citing a joint EU-US agreement signed on 21 August that capped pharmaceutical duties at 15 per cent. “I want to stress that the EU and US joint statement made absolutely clear that any new tariffs announced by the US on pharmaceuticals would be capped at 15% for pharma products being exported by the EU,” Harris said on Friday, signalling that Brussels would likely push back against Washington’s latest move.

The UK government also expressed concern. A spokesperson said London was actively engaging with Washington to seek clarity and assurances for British exporters. “We know this will be concerning for industry, which is why we’ve been actively engaging with the US and will continue to do so over the coming days,” the spokesperson said. Analysts warn that the uncertainty alone could disrupt investment plans in the sector, particularly for companies that rely heavily on US sales.

Industry experts have already described the pharmaceutical sector as being on a “rollercoaster ride” in recent months, owing to persistent speculation over tariffs and regulatory changes. Jane Sydenham, investment director at Rathbones, told BBC Radio 4 that stock prices across the sector had been under sustained pressure on both sides of the Atlantic. “Nobody likes uncertainty, and that’s been keeping a cloud over the sector for a while,” she explained.

Still, some economists suggest that the impact of the tariffs may not be as severe as initial headlines suggest. Neil Shearing, chief economist at Capital Economics, noted that generic medicines remain exempt, as do companies willing to establish or expand production facilities within the United States. “Many of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies either already have some production in the US or have announced plans to build production in the near future,” Shearing said. As a result, the policy could accelerate a trend that is already underway, with global drugmakers investing in American manufacturing capacity to secure continued access to the market.

The tariffs on heavy-duty trucks and parts are intended to protect domestic manufacturers such as Peterbilt and Mack Trucks. Trump has long accused foreign competitors of undermining US producers through cheaper imports, particularly from Mexico, Canada, Germany, Finland and Japan. Yet the new duties have alarmed industry groups. The US Chamber of Commerce warned earlier this year that it would be “impractical” to expect American producers to fully source truck components domestically. Mexico and Canada, it said, accounted for more than half of all imported parts for the medium- and heavy-duty truck sector in 2024. “These countries are allies or close partners of the United States posing no threat to national security,” the Chamber noted, adding that tariffs risk raising production costs and, ultimately, consumer prices.

The furniture and cabinet tariffs mark another front in Trump’s economic nationalism. Imports of kitchen and bathroom cabinets, along with upholstered furniture, have risen significantly in recent years, challenging US producers who claim to be squeezed by low-cost foreign rivals. The new 50 per cent and 30 per cent duties, respectively, are designed to curb this trend. But trade specialists argue that consumers will bear much of the burden. “The tariffs favour domestic producers but are terrible for consumers as prices are likely to rise,” said Deborah Elms of the Hinrich Foundation. She added that the duties go further than Trump’s earlier reciprocal tariffs, which were framed as efforts to rebalance trade. Instead, the latest levies reflect a broader protectionist strategy aimed at both boosting domestic jobs and shoring up government revenues as earlier policies face legal challenges in US courts.

For Trump, tariffs remain one of the defining tools of his second presidency, a policy that resonates with his political base while reinforcing his broader message of economic self-sufficiency and industrial revival. Supporters argue that such measures are long overdue, given years of offshoring and import reliance. Critics, however, warn that the strategy risks inflaming trade tensions with allies, raising costs for American consumers, and undermining the global trading system.

As October approaches and the new tariffs take effect, attention will turn to how affected industries adapt. Pharmaceutical companies may accelerate US investment, truck manufacturers will weigh higher production costs against limited domestic supply chains, and furniture producers will consider whether tariffs alone can revive American competitiveness in a global market. What is clear is that the debate over tariffs—once considered a niche policy issue—has become a defining fault line in US economic strategy under Trump.