American Hospital Association Warns Against Raising Tariffs on Chinese-Made Medical Supplies

In a June 28 letter to U.S. trade representatives, penned by the American Hospital Association (AHA), the association said that raising tariffs on Chinese-manufactured medical supplies may cause more issues.

The letter says that “Tariffs are a blunt tool to disincentivize the purchase of foreign-made goods. The recently proposed substantial increase in tariffs for Chinese-made products used in the health care setting is intended to persuade hospitals and other care providers to alter their purchasing patterns to select goods made in the U.S. or other countries. For many health care goods, this strategy may fail or bring negative unintended consequences.”

The AHA cites that challenges may include lack of clarity about sourcing, existing contracts, limited options for sourcing, burdens associated with adopting new products, and the importance of safety by design.

“We urge the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to reconsider its proposed approach to tariff use for health care goods,” the letter adds.

Recently, we also reported on Premier, Inc’s comments on the tariffs, also urging the USTR to modify its proposal.