EU retaliating to Trump drug tariffs would be ‘a bad idea’, says industry

European pharmaceutical body says it would be ‘negative for both sides’ if Brussels hits back on threatened US levies

The European pharmaceutical industry has urged Brussels not to retaliate if Donald Trump brings in threatened tariffs on imported drugs, amid fears he could impose the levies as early as next week.

The US president said last week that the sector-specific tariffs were coming “very soon” and there is concern in Brussels that he could impose them imminently to give him further leverage ahead of his self-imposed 9 July deadline for trade deals with the EU and about 60 other countries.