The Chinese government is seeking ways to reduce its dependence on U.S.-made pharmaceuticals. As the tariff conflict ignited by U.S. President Donald Trump escalates, it appears that China is intensifying its efforts to decouple from the United States in the medical supply chain.
On the 29th (local time), Bloomberg News reported, citing multiple sources, that the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China held private meetings with executives from several state-owned pharmaceutical companies earlier this year, instructing them to develop plans to lower dependence on U.S.-made pharmaceuticals and medical raw materials. These discussions intensified after President Trump took office in January, and currently, at least two state-owned pharmaceutical companies have already completed internal reviews of alternatives to U.S. products.
The review items reportedly include not only active pharmaceutical ingredients used in drug manufacturing but also medical-related products imported from the United States, such as testing equipment and laboratory reagents. The Chinese government is conducting a comprehensive analysis to determine whether these items can be substituted with products from Japan, Europe, or domestic sources. The National Health Commission (NHC) of China has also reportedly instructed major hospitals to examine whether U.S. imports can be replaced with domestic or third-country products.
Currently, major Chinese hospitals procure advanced medical equipment such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines and ultrasound diagnostic devices from U.S. corporations like GE Healthcare and Medtronic. Reagents used in clinical trials, such as antibodies, culture media, and additives, as well as blood products like therapeutic plasma and albumin, are also identified as items with high dependence on the United States.
However, it is expected that completely replacing U.S. products in the short term will be challenging. In particular, regarding domestic medical devices, there are concerns that China has not yet caught up to U.S. technological capabilities. A representative from a Chinese pharmaceutical company noted in an interview with Bloomberg News that "the quality and safety assessments by regulatory authorities are rigorous, making it difficult to pass," and stated that "domestic equipment still significantly lags behind U.S. products in performance."
Nevertheless, China is focusing on establishing an independent medical supply chain in the medium to long term. Some hospitals, which currently import about 5% of their total pharmaceuticals from the United States, are subject to U.S. tariffs of 125%, and they are already facing a significant price burden. The local pharmaceutical site "Dingxiangyuan" reported that "the tariff increase has dealt a heavy blow to hospitals and pharmaceutical companies," adding, "some are reducing purchases or seeking other suppliers."