Report: US drug tariffs may have a bigger impact on small and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies

Stefan Schneider of Vontobel stated in a research report that the proposed drug import tariffs in the United States have many exceptions, but the impact on small and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies is likely to be more severe than on large companies. The analyst mentioned that due to a trade agreement last year, products imported from the EU and Switzerland face a 15% tariff, while imports from the UK are exempt. The analyst added that the 16 large pharmaceutical companies that signed agreements with the White House can receive a three-year exemption, while companies that move production to the US will receive lower tariff rates. Vontobel stated that it remains to be seen which companies and products will ultimately be affected, but small and medium-sized companies face greater obstacles in moving production to the US. The European Stoxx 600 healthcare index fell by 0.6%.