Senator Rick Scott has called on the Trump administration to take further steps to secure the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain and reduce the country’s reliance on foreign-made generic drugs. In a letter addressed to Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, Scott thanked them for their efforts in advancing President Trump’s America First agenda and urged them to act decisively through a Section 232 investigation into the nation’s dependence on imported pharmaceuticals.
Scott highlighted national security concerns stemming from heavy reliance on countries such as China, which supplies up to 80% of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in generic medications in the United States. He emphasized that domestic production is necessary to ensure Americans have access to safe and reliable medicines.
The senator pointed out that generics account for 90% of prescriptions filled in the U.S., with 70–80% of these relying on APIs from China and India. He noted that about 75% of essential drug supplies are sourced overseas, and roughly 83% of the top 100 generic drugs consumed by Americans lack a U.S.-based source for their APIs.
Scott referenced recent shortages in cancer drugs, disruptions in heparin supply, and instability in antibiotics and injectables as evidence of risks posed by this dependency. He cited a study showing that foreign generics were linked to a “54% greater risk of serious adverse events – including hospitalization, disability, and death – compared with equivalent domestically made medicines.” According to Scott, there is both demand and market support for domestic generics, with “85% of hospital pharmacists willing to pay more for domestic, generic drugs.”
He also warned that China has previously imposed export restrictions on rare earth elements during trade negotiations and could potentially do the same with pharmaceuticals.
In his letter, Scott wrote: “Thank you both for your leadership in advancing President Trump’s America First agenda and protecting Americans from foreign adversarial threats. I am proud to work with you and the entire administration to advance these shared goals.”
He continued: “For years, I expressed concerns about the vulnerability of the United States’ pharmaceutical supply chains and its overreliance on adversaries, like Communist China… Generics make up 90% of prescriptions filled in the United States, yet 70–80% of these generics use active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from Communist China and India… it is clear our supply chain is dangerously exposed.”
“To address this ongoing threat,” Scott wrote, “I respectfully request the immediate application of Section 232 tariffs on foreign generic medicines (including active pharmaceutical ingredients and key starting materials), or at a minimum, a public commitment to a phased-in tariff regime that places generics on the same tariff footing as other imported pharmaceuticals within 12 months.”
He concluded: “I sincerely appreciate your outstanding leadership and stand ready to work with you and my colleagues in support of a secure national medicine supply. To protect Americans’ health and safety, it is critical that we take action to ensure they can buy quality, generic drugs.”
