Trump Administration’s Proposed China Tariffs Hit Medical Devices

U.S. medical device manufacturers could be impacted by the Trump administration’s proposed 25 percent tariffs on thousands of Chinese goods, which includes medical devices and device components.

The tariffs are likely to impact U.S. medical device companies more than Chinese firms, especially for imaging products, according to China regulatory specialist Grace Fu Palma, founder and CEO of China Med Device.

The tariffs would hit a large number of devices such as catheters, imaging devices, anesthetic instruments and defibrillators, as well as hearing aids, pacemakers and artificial body parts, according to the administration’s tariff list. Components used in medical devices would also be taxed, such as parts of medical and laboratory sterilizers and medical mirrors and reflectors.