The American Hospital Association (AHA) is urging the federal government to exempt essential healthcare products, including medications, medical devices, equipment, supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE), from proposed tariffs on imported goods, warning that new duties could disrupt healthcare supply chains, increase costs for hospitals and threaten access to products needed for patient care.
While supporting efforts to expand domestic manufacturing and strengthen supply chain resiliency, the AHA said increasing U.S. production capacity will take years and cannot immediately replace global sources for many critical healthcare products. The association noted that hospitals remain heavily dependent on imports, including more than $75 billion in medical devices and supplies imported in 2024.
The AHA highlighted concerns around high-volume, low-margin products that are challenging to manufacture domestically, including single-use devices, surgical instruments, needles, syringes, pulse oximeters and other commonly used hospital supplies. The organization warned that disruptions could affect infection prevention efforts, diagnostics, surgical procedures and other essential patient care services.
The association also called for preserving existing exemptions under the Nairobi Protocol for certain medical devices, including products such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, prosthetics and cochlear implants, to help maintain patient access to critical technologies.
The AHA’s comments reinforce ongoing healthcare supply chain concerns around balancing domestic manufacturing goals with the immediate need for reliable access to globally sourced medical products. For supply chain leaders, the issue highlights the importance of supplier diversification, tariff scenario planning and visibility into product-level sourcing risks. As hospitals continue to navigate cost pressures and supply challenges, procurement teams will need to assess potential tariff impacts while developing strategies to maintain product availability and operational resilience.
