The United States will impose tariffs of up to 100% on pharmaceuticals from October, a move criticised by the Belgian pharmaceutical federation Essenscia as violating an EU-US trade deal.
The tariffs will not apply to companies building production sites in the US, Washington said.
Essenscia voiced surprise at the decision. "This contradicts the EU-US trade agreement, which stipulates that pharmaceutical tariffs cannot exceed 15%. For more than 30 years, these products have been subject to a zero-tariff policy. A trade war should not come at the expense of patients," spokesperson Gert Verreth said.
Belgium, where a quarter of pharmaceutical exports are destined for the US and account for 55% of total export value, could be hit hard.
The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) also raised concerns. Director General Nathalie Moll said the measures would create "the worst-case scenario", increasing costs, disrupting supply chains and hindering patients ' access to treatments.
Essenscia and EFPIA called on the EU to respond, while warning that uncertainty was already affecting investment decisions in Europe.
EC responds
The European Commission confirmed on Friday that the summer trade agreement shields European medicines from any new tariff increases,
The agreement ensures that most European exports, including medicines, cannot be taxed at a rate higher than 15%.
"This maximum tariff level guarantees that no additional duties will be applied," said Olof Gill, the European Commission's trade spokesperson. He highlighted that the EU is "the only trading partner to achieve such a deal with the United States."
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced new tariffs of up to 100%, targeting medicines as well as trucks and furniture produced outside the United States.
Starting 1 October, "we will impose a 100% tax on any branded or patented pharmaceutical product, unless a company BUILDS its pharmaceutical factory in America," the Republican leader stated on his Truth Social platform.
