Trump unilaterally announces high tariffs on drugs, transatlantic trade agreement in chaos again.

On the 26th local time, the European Commission stated that it had agreed to set a 15% upper limit on tariffs on American drugs to provide protection for European companies. However, US President Trump announced on the 25th local time that he would impose a 100% tariff on all imported brand-name or patented drugs starting from October 1, causing confusion once again to the drug tariff agreement reached between the US and Europe just in August. Trump stated on social media that companies that have already invested in drug production in the US may be exempted. European pharmaceutical giants such as Roche, Novartis, and AstraZeneca have announced expansion projects in the US, theoretically may avoid the new tariffs. However, most European manufacturers face new tariff barriers. Trump emphasized that so-called "groundbreaking" projects or "under construction" projects will be considered exempt from taxes. The EU and the US had previously agreed to uniformly impose a 15% tariff and exclude generic drugs. European public opinion believes that Trump's actions not only violate existing agreements but also lack legal basis. The Innovative Medicines Group based in Brussels criticized that the EU and the US "have reached an agreement", Trump's repeated actions seriously undermine policy stability. The secretary-general of the group, Natalie Morel, stressed that both sides should focus on finding a reasonable way to share the global R&D costs without harming patient interests. Analysts point out that Trump is using tariffs as a political tool to force countries to compromise and raise drug prices, which not only threatens the EU pharmaceutical industry but also directly affects the affordability of patients. On the 26th local time, the Belgian Pharmaceutical Association also issued a statement saying that the industry is expecting a response from the EU to Trump's decision to impose taxes. The statement said that this declaration violates the agreement between the EU and the US, and tariffs may have a significant impact on various EU countries, including Belgium. The statement emphasized that the current uncertainty is putting pressure on investment decisions in Europe.