International Desk

The United States has exempted certain specialised medicines and related products from a 100% tariff for Bangladesh and 19 other countries and regions. This means eligible products meeting specified conditions will face a zero additional tariff in the US market.

The US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a notice on September 23 listing the eligible countries and medicines. The new arrangement took effect on Tuesday (September 29).

Earlier, on April 2, President Donald Trump announced a 100% tariff on imports of certain patented pharmaceuticals and related products. The tariff policy was introduced with the aim of increasing pharmaceutical production in the United States.

However, the exemption does not apply to all medicines. According to government documents, the tariff exemption may cover medicines used to treat rare diseases, nuclear medicines, plasma-based therapies, infertility treatments, cell and gene therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, certain emergency medical products, as well as medicines and related products used in veterinary treatment.

Besides Bangladesh, the list of eligible countries and regions includes Argentina, Cambodia, Ecuador, El Salvador, European Union member states, Guatemala, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, North Macedonia, South Korea, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

The US Department of Commerce said the zero-tariff treatment was determined after considering existing or future trade and security frameworks with the countries concerned, as well as specific healthcare needs.

Meanwhile, a US government directive states that the 100% tariff on certain patented pharmaceuticals and related products took effect for most companies from September 29. However, generic medicines and related products are currently not subject to the Section 232 tariff.