US President Donald Trump met with representatives of big pharmaceutical companies and warned that they will face tariffs if they don't move their production to the US, Bloomberg reported, citing its sources.
According to the agency, the meeting took place on Thursday at the White House. It was attended by Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, the head of Eli Lilly & Co. David Ricks, and Merck & Co. CEO Robert Davis.
The headquarters of all these companies are located in the US. The head of the American Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA) Stephen Uble also participated in the discussions.
As the agency notes, the approach chosen by Trump shows that the intention of the pharmaceutical industry to find an ally in the White House in his person will be more difficult to implement than the leaders of enterprises in this sector expected.
On February 19, Trump announced that he would announce tariffs on drugs, cars, semiconductors and pharmaceutical products next month. The tariffs could reach 25%. He explained this move with the intention of "bringing business back" to the United States.