American leadership in breakthrough technologies is the envy of the world, and nowhere is that more evident than in medical technology. The Coalition to Protect Patient Care supports the administration’s efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing and build more resilient supply chains. But broad Section 232 tariffs on medical equipment and technology would undermine the very industry we should be working to strengthen. In a highly specialized market with an integrated global supply chain, tariffs mean higher costs across a foundational industry: higher manufacturing costs, slower production, and life-altering disruptions to patient care. We can strengthen American manufacturing without punishing an industry that is already doing it right.
Section 232 Tariffs Would Increase Healthcare Costs
Medical equipment is not a luxury item or a discretionary good. It’s an irreplaceable input in the interventions that save American lives every day. From the bandages that wrap our kids’ cuts and bruises to the advanced radiological technology that detects cancer while it’s still treatable, these are things we can’t live without – and we don’t have to. Section 232 tariffs are a choice with real consequences: higher costs for acute care, fewer resources to address chronic disease, and greater healthcare expenses for working families. Very rarely is something exactly as obvious as it seems, but this is one of those times. If we raise the cost of the inputs, we’ll raise the cost of care.
Tariffs Threaten Medical Innovation and American Jobs
Higher costs for patients are only the beginning. Every dollar medical technology companies spend on tariffs is a dollar they cannot invest in research and development, in bringing new products to market, or in job creation in all 50 U.S. states. The administration has rightly celebrated America’s position at the forefront of medical innovation. Taxing the resources that keep us there would be counterproductive, to say the least. Section 232 tariffs would make it harder to develop the next generation of diagnostics, surgical technologies, and lifesaving treatments here at home. The United States has never been in the business of scoring own goals. This would be a strange time to start.
The U.S. Medtech Industry Already Supports Domestic Manufacturing
There’s a practical side to this issue, but there’s also an altruistic one: Section 232 tariffs on medical technology would penalize the authors of an American success story. The medtech space already looks quite similar to the manufacturing ecosystem that policymakers say they’re trying to create. What does that mean in practice?
- 70% of the medical technology used here is produced here.
- The American medtech industry employs over three million people and generates over $250 billion each year.
- The world is buying what we’re selling: The U.S. exported over $80 billion worth of medical devices in 2024 – more than automobiles, semiconductors, and liquefied natural gas.
Global Supply Chains Are Critical to Patient Care
None of this would be possible without the global supply chain. The U.S. imports critical inputs for use in our factories, and Section 232 tariffs are guaranteed to raise their cost. What follows is an increase in the cost of the final product – with American families paying more for lower-quality care – and no one has more to lose than the rural and underserved communities who already face more roadblocks than most when it comes to accessing and affording the care they need. These are the very communities this administration has been prioritizing from Day One.
Strengthening Supply Chain Resilience Without Broad Tariffs
Reducing dependence on adversarial foreign powers and building supply chain resilience are national priorities. But these won’t be achieved through sweeping tariffs on a highly specialized, globally integrated industry, in which America already leads. Resilience will not be built overnight, nor will it be achieved by treating every imported component as an equal threat.
Smart Medtech Policy Can Protect Patients and Innovation
There’s a role for incremental public policy solutions in strengthening American medtech, but we have to be smart about it. That means targeted solutions, not sweeping immediate change. We can address vulnerabilities in our supply chain without punishing American medical technology producers, foster innovation without raising costs, and deepen ties with trusted international partners while reducing dependence on adversaries. Section 232 policy should empower America’s medtech innovators. Every American has a vested interest in getting this right.
