The Trump administration has opened investigations into the national security risks presented by pharmaceutical and semiconductor imports.
According to Federal Register notices set to be published on April 16, the Secretary of Commerce launched investigations on April 1 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.
Materials probed in the semiconductor investigation include “substrates and bare wafers, legacy chips, leading-edge chips, microelectronics, and SME components,” as well as products containing semiconductors, the notice says. According to the filing, the Commerce Department is looking for comments related to the “current and projected demand for semiconductors,” and the “role of foreign fabrication and assembly, test and packaging facilities in meeting United States semiconductors demand.” Potential predatory trade practices will also be investigated.
President Donald Trump addressed the semiconductor investigation in a post on Truth Social, explaining that the United States “will not be held hostage by other Countries, especially hostile trading Nations like China, which will do everything within its power to disrespect the American People.”
“We also cannot let them continue to abuse us on Trade, like they have for decades, THOSE DAYS ARE OVER!” Trump declared.
The pharmaceutical investigation includes probes into finished generic and non-generic drug products, medical countermeasures, and active ingredients in pharmaceutical products. The filing explains that the department is seeking information pertaining to the demand for pharmaceutical products, the role of foreign supply chains in meeting U.S. demand, and the potential for export restrictions.
The “economic impact of artificially suppressed prices of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients due to foreign unfair trade practices and state-sponsored overproduction” will also be assessed, according to the filing.
