During Monday’s coronavirus task force meeting, President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of U.S. manufacturing in keeping supply chains secure during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond, particularly in the area of pharmaceuticals.
China has imported pharmaceutical products to the U.S. since the 1990s, becoming the United States’ second-largest exporter of medications and medical supplies. However, the Trump administration has looked at ways to diminish China’s role in the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain.
Defense Production Act policy coordinator and Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Peter Navarro said in March he was working in collaboration with Trump on an executive order that would incentivize American production of pharmaceuticals.
“This pandemic has reaffirmed the importance of keeping vital supply chains at home,” Trump said. “We cannot outsource our independence, we cannot be reliant on foreign nations. I’ve been saying this for a long time. If we’ve learned one thing it’s let’s do it here, let’s build it here, let’s make it here.”
“We’ve got to start bringing our supply chains back,” Trump continued. “Somebody years ago got this crazy idea: ‘Let’s build all over the place and let’s have parts, let’s have a screw for a car delivered and made in a country that’s far away. And let’s have a fender made someplace else and let’s do this, and let’s do that and let’s put it all together.’ I like making it right here in the U.S.A. and I think we’ve learned a lot about that and especially maybe when it comes to pharmaceutical products.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
