First quarter earnings reports from Johnson & Johnson and Abbott Laboratories provided some surprising insights into the likely hit med-tech companies will sustain with current tariffs. The main takeaway? The impact of the trade war with China is far greater than expected by most analysts.

U.S. tariffs on biopharmaceuticals have advanced beyond administration talking points.As a precursor to tariffs, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick initiated an investigation under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act to determine the effects on national security of importing prescription drugs, according to a request for public comments scheduled to be published in the April 16 Federal Register. Publication of the notice will kick off a 21-day comment period.

The Trump administration applied a 90-day hold on nation-specific tariffs, but a group of 26 House Democrats urged the administration to think carefully before acting on a threat to impose tariffs on pharmaceuticals.

In the wake of the pandemic, many leading med-tech companies took steps to on-shore and near-shore manufacturing, a move that could protect significant numbers of players from the worst of the effects of the tariffs announced by the Trump administration last week.

While the U.S. has historically led the global pharmaceutical industry by pursuing both continual innovation and high quality, those strengths could become areas of weakness in times of political uncertainty, according to PA Consulting expert Andy Prinz.

While the U.S. has historically led the global pharmaceutical industry by pursuing both continual innovation and high quality, those strengths could become areas of weakness in times of political uncertainty, according to PA Consulting expert Andy Prinz.

The Chinese government blacklisted several American companies, including gene sequencing-focused biotechnology firm Illumina Inc. and fashion brand PVH Corp., citing threats to China’s “national sovereignty, security and development interests.”

President Donald Trump’s penchant for tariffs as a negotiating tool was on full display when he slapped a 25% tariff on products coming from Mexico and Canada – which may already been suspended in the case of Mexico. The actual impact of the tariffs on med tech is nonetheless tough to gauge due in no small part to the prospect that manufacturers will simply pass on at least part of the tariff to its customers in the U.S.

Beijing’s policy of favoring domestic medical technology is a matter of record, but the European Commission apparently heard enough from EU med tech firms to take action. The Commission posted notice that it may take steps to retaliate by restricting bids from China for EU government contracts in retaliation, a move certain to draw cheers from European device makers.

Medtronic plc and Irvine, Calif.-based Axonics Inc. have been locked in a struggle over several patents in the past few years, but now Medtronic has shifted some of its effort from the U.S. courts to the executive branch.