A Fanuc robotic arm strikes bins of merchandise throughout a media tour of the Amazon.com Inc. DAB2 success middle in Daytona Seaside, Florida, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. The DAB2 success middle is Amazon’s seventh robotics success middle in Florida. Photographer: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures
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The Trump administration has launched nationwide safety investigations into imports of robotics, industrial equipment and medical units, a transfer that would pave the best way for contemporary tariffs and lift prices for customers, hospitals and producers.
The Division of Commerce stated Wednesday that the probes, opened Sept. 2 below the “Part 232” of the Commerce Enlargement Act, will assess whether or not such imports threaten U.S. nationwide safety, in keeping with Federal Register filings.
The newest probes broaden the listing of things that may very well be uncovered to greater tariffs to incorporate private protecting tools resembling surgical masks, N95 respirators, gloves and different medical consumables, together with syringes, needles and pharmaceuticals.
In addition they prolong to imported medical tools resembling wheelchairs, hospital beds and diagnostic and therapy units like pacemakers, insulin pumps and coronary heart valves.
The probes may very well be used as justification for contemporary sectoral tariffs geared toward boosting home manufacturing of products deemed essential to nationwide safety.
AdvaMed, the commerce group that represents medical expertise and gadget makers, careworn in an announcement Thursday that 70% of medical merchandise in U.S. hospitals are already “made in America throughout 1000’s of producing services in all 50 states.”
The group stated it will proceed to work with the Trump administration, including, “We imagine this course of will reinforce the truth that U.S. medtech manufacturing is powerful and decrease tariffs will gasoline extra manufacturing and job development within the U.S., which implies better entry to lifesaving applied sciences and decrease prices to American hospitals and sufferers.”
The Division of Commerce is looking for feedback from corporations on their projected demand for these merchandise and whether or not home manufacturing can meet native demand and the position of overseas provide chains.
Corporations are additionally invited to stipulate the affect of overseas subsidies and what the administration described as “predatory commerce practices.”
The Trump administration has beforehand invoked Part 232 to impose levies on vehicles and components, copper, metal and aluminum.
Investigations into imports of prescription drugs, semiconductors and chip parts resembling silicon wafers, chipmaking tools and associated downstream merchandise are additionally ongoing, reflecting Washington’s considerations over reliance on abroad provide chains.
Any new duties ensuing from the sector-specific probes could be stacked on prime of U.S. President Doanld Trump’s country-specific tariffs, although the European Union and Japan have reached agreements that would protect them from additional levies.
The U.S. relies upon closely on Mexico and China for equipment, with imports from the 2 nations accounting for greater than 18% and 17% of whole U.S. equipment purchases in 2023, in keeping with information from the U.S. Worldwide Commerce Fee.
The auto trade may very well be among the many hardest hit by the most recent potential tariffs, because it accounted for the biggest demand for industrial robots — 13,747 installations final yr, in keeping with the Worldwide Federation of Robotics. Most of these robots had been imported, with few producers producing within the U.S., the group stated.
Culver Metropolis, CA – September 23: Element of vials and syringe containing a COVID-19 vaccination by Pfizer at Kaiser Permanente Venice Medical Workplace Constructing in Culver Metropolis Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. Particulars of vials, syringes in addition to vaccinations.
Allen J. Schaben | Los Angeles Occasions | Getty Pictures
The potential levies on medical units and protecting gear may improve prices for hospitals and sufferers, decreasing entry to essential tools and care, consultants have warned.
In April, Scott Whitaker, CEO of AdvaMed, warned of the danger of upper prices.
“MedTech provide chain leaders are already reporting provide chain considerations, and we can not afford to drive up the price of well being take care of sufferers, or on the well being care system,” he stated on the time. “The fact is, any elevated prices shall be largely borne by taxpayer-funded well being packages like Medicare, Medicaid and the [Veterans Health Administration].”
Hospital commerce teams have additionally been sounding the alarm this yr, warning that greater tariffs may harm the standard of care.
Rick Pollack, the CEO of the American Hospital Affiliation, stated in April that “disruptions within the availability of those essential units — lots of that are sourced internationally — have the potential to disrupt affected person care.”
— CNBC’s Bertha Coombs contributed to this report.
Correction: This text has been up to date to incorporate AdvaMed’s newest assertion and make clear the timing of CEO Scott Whitaker’s feedback.
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