Washington’s Trade War Puts Americans With Autoimmune Conditions in the Crossfire

COMMENTARY

The White House is preparing new tariffs on pharmaceutical imports to “promote national security.” But based on initial reports, the tariffs might not be limited to genuine adversaries like China. They might also target medicines from trusted partners like Europe, Japan and India. 

Tariffing drugs from allied countries won’t improve national security. It’ll only punish Americans who count on these medicines, especially the 50 million Americans who battle autoimmune conditions. 

These patients frequently depend on medications sourced from other countries. Diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis are highly individualized, requiring niche treatments that often come from Europe, Japan and India. 

And the timing couldn’t be worse. The Department of Health and Human Services recently found that “adequate alternative treatments are not available” for autoimmune conditions, and shortages are a present threat. Tariffs will only exacerbate the problem by forcing manufacturers to rapidly increase prices, delay shipments and reduce inventory for specialized medicines.

Imagine an elderly woman suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. She relies on a specific drug for her chronic knee pain. That drug comes from one country in Europe. Overnight, new tariffs could make it inaccessible, leaving her unable to walk or sleep. 

If the United States imposes ill-advised tariffs on these treatments, that’s what will happen. Some 1.5 million Americans battle rheumatoid arthritis. Humira and Rinvoq are currently the leading treatments for the joint damage and pain these patients would otherwise experience. But those medicines are supplied from Germany and Ireland. 

About 8 million Americans have psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune disease that inflames the organs, joints and skin. Fortunately, a treatment called Stelara offers a fighting chance for these patients to experience higher quality of life. America imports the drug from Ireland and the Netherlands. 

When tariffs cause specialized European medicines to skyrocket in price, people will be forced to accept the new costs or stop treatment entirely. 

Putting tariffs on medicines is particularly ill advised, because medicines aren’t like other consumer products. Nobody chooses to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. And similarly, no patient truly chooses their treatment. Patients need whatever drug their doctors recommend, based on their unique health profile. That’s why America and other major countries have long spared drugs from tariffs. 

Tariffs will also increase costs for Medicare, Medicaid and other public programs that provide health coverage for many with autoimmune diseases. More than three in five individuals with rare chronic autoimmune diseases receive Medicare coverage. 

Ironically, tariffs would also undermine the goal of boosting America’s domestic production capacity for medicines. 

America already manufactures a considerable share of the medicines consumed here, but our domestic producers often rely on ingredients imported from abroad. About half of the active pharmaceutical ingredients used in Americans’ prescriptions are made here. But a substantial portion of ingredients come from allies like Europe and India. By raising the costs of these ingredients, tariffs would discourage domestic manufacturing.  

Simply put, tariffs on trusted allies won’t make us safer. They’ll make millions of autoimmune patients sicker.

Molly Murray is the president and chief executive officer of the Autoimmune Association, which represents 50 million Americans living with autoimmune diseases. The association can be found here.