Rubio says US tariffs on generic drug imports ‘not raised’ during talks with EAM, ‘might have with others’

MANILA: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the issue of the newly announced US tariffs on generic drug imports did not come up during his discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Manila, though he noted the matter “might have” been raised with other members of the US administration.

Responding to a question from the press during his visit to Manila on Wednesday, where he attended the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with the US and the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM), Rubio said, “I mean, not with me. I mean, we didn’t get into depth on pharmaceuticals today, obviously. I would expect them to be concerned about it, but they didn’t raise it today. But they might have with others in our system, because we obviously deal with the Indians; we’re very close to them.”

Rubio’s remarks came in response to a question on whether Jaishankar had expressed concerns over tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump on generic drug makers.

Journalist: Did India’s Jaishankar raise concerns about Trump’s tariff threat on generic drugs with you? Many Americans buy their drugs from India

Secretary Rubio: I’d expect India to be concerned. But they didn’t raise it today. We’re very close to India.
+1 pic.twitter.com/ede43bcwqY

— Avinash K S (@AvinashKS14) July 22, 2026

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced that all generic drugs imported into the US will continue to attract zero per cent tariffs for two years from August 1, 2026, after which tariffs will rise by up to 100 per cent for one year and then to 200 per cent.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the policy is aimed at bringing generic pharmaceutical production back to the United States, with penalties for companies that choose not to establish manufacturing plants and equipment within the specified timeframe.

“Effective August 1st, 2026, all Generic Drugs being brought into the United States will continue to have a TARIFF of ZERO PERCENT for a two year period of time, after which the TARIFF will be raised to 100% for a one year period of time, and 200% thereafter,” the post read.

He further stated that the objective is to protect the American people, while the existing policy on patented, branded and innovative drugs will remain unchanged. “The objective of this Policy is to protect the people of the United States. The Policy on Patented, Branded, or Innovative Drugs, which has been so successful, will remain as is,” the post added.

Additionally, pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are currently being built across the United States at an unprecedented pace, he stated in his post. “Pharmaceutical Facilities are being built, at a level never seen before, all over the United States of America,” the post said.

Meanwhile, according to a US State Department office readout attributed to Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, Rubio and Jaishankar underscored the need to conclude the interim bilateral trade arrangement between the two countries, which, according to the readout, was “almost complete”.

The talks also focused on recent developments in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific, while also reviewing progress on key defence issues. (ANI)