The Trump administration is considering sweeping restrictions on medicines from China. A draft executive order obtained by The New York Times shows the White House is looking to rein in China’s dominance in manufacturing medications, but the proposal is reportedly seeing some lobbying pushback.
The Times reported that the draft order would target the pipeline of experimental drugs from China. But two of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies have warned the administration against a full cutoff, citing China’s rapid progress in producing critical medical treatments.
Draft order sparks high-stakes lobbying
Large pharmaceutical companies, such as Pfizer and AstraZeneca, have increasingly purchased the rights to Chinese medical treatments, covering diseases from cancer to Crohn’s.
These companies have benefited from buying Chinese-developed drugs at lower costs and warn that restrictions could limit patient access to life-saving treatments, as well as to generic versions of more commonplace drugs. The possibility of such restrictions on these medications has triggered an intense lobbying battle.
On the other side, major investors with ties to President Donald Trump — including billionaire Peter Thiel, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, the Koch family and associates of Jared Kushner’s investment firm — are urging a crackdown, arguing that China’s rise in biotechnology threatens U.S. innovation. Many of those advocating restrictions reportedly have financial stakes in struggling American biotech firms.
National security and economic risks
The debate comes as lawmakers from both parties have raised alarms about U.S. reliance on Chinese medicine production. Trump has repeatedly called for more domestic manufacturing, issuing an executive order in August to strengthen U.S. production. Trump is also threatening tariffs on medicines imported from China as an incentive.
Despite the draft executive order, a White House spokesman said Monday the administration is not “actively considering” the restrictions. He confirmed, however, that officials are exploring ways to “safeguard the country’s national and economic security.”
Behind closed doors, aides to Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller have been consulting investors and circulating versions of the draft order, according to sources who spoke with The Times.
What is in the draft order?
According to the draft, the order would direct the United States to increase production of key medicines that are now largely made in China, including antibiotics and acetaminophen. It would also instruct the government to give purchasing preference to drugs manufactured domestically once supply increases.
In addition, the proposal calls for offering tax incentives to encourage companies to move pharmaceutical manufacturing back to American soil. Supporters say these steps would reduce supply shortages and protect against potential disruptions if China restricted exports during a future crisis. Critics argue that limiting Chinese-developed treatments could delay or block access to promising new medicines, as China now runs more industry-funded clinical trials of new drugs than the United States.
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