Trump slaps heavy tariff on pharma, kitchen cabinets & furniture

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. will impose a 100% tariff on all branded or patented pharmaceutical imports starting October 1, 2025 — unless the exporting company is actively building a manufacturing plant in the U.S. The announcement, made on Truth Social, specifies that “actively building” means a plant must have broken ground or be under construction. The measure is intended to push pharmaceutical manufacturers to localize production and reduce reliance on foreign drug imports.

The policy poses a significant threat to Indian pharmaceutical firms, which rely heavily on the U.S. market. About 31% of India’s pharmaceutical exports go to the U.S., and leading companies like Sun Pharma, Dr. Reddy’s, Cipla, Lupin, and Aurobindo derive a large share of their revenues from branded or patented drugs sold there. A 100% import tax would make Indian drugs substantially less competitive, potentially leading to lost market share, falling sales, and shrinking margins. Previous tariff-related announcements earlier in 2025 triggered single-day stock declines of up to 6% for major Indian pharma firms.

Trump unveils broad swath of fresh TARIFFS:

— 25% on all heavy trucks not made in US

— 50% on… kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities

— 100% on pharmaceuticals UNLESS company building factory in America

The announcement extends beyond pharmaceuticals. Donald Trump said 50 per cent import taxes will be levied on kitchen cabinets, 30 percent on upholstered furniture, and 25 per cent on heavy trucks. In a separate post, he wrote of a 25 percent tariff on "all 'Heavy (Big) Trucks' made in other parts of the world"to support US manufacturers such as "Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, Mack Trucks and others." He said the truck tariffs were "for many reasons, but above all else, for National Security purposes!"