He added that the issue of the newly announced US tariffs did not come up during his discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Manila, though he noted the matter “might have” been raised with other members of the US administration.
Also read: Trump’s Generic Drug Tariffs Explained: What it means for Indian pharma before the 200% storm
Responding to a question during his visit to Manila, where the official attended the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with the US and the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM), Rubio said, “I mean, not with me. I mean, we didn’t get into depth on pharmaceuticals today, obviously. I would expect them to be concerned about it, but they didn’t raise it today. But they might have with others in our system, because we obviously deal with the Indians; we’re very close to them.”
Rubio made the remarks in response to a question on whetherEAM Jaishankar had expressed concerns over tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump on generic drug makers.
Trump’s generic drug tariffs
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump announced fresh tariff policy for all generic drugs imported into the US.He said that such drugs will continue to attract zero per cent tariffs for two years from August 1, 2026, after which tariffs will rise by up to 100 per cent for one year and then to 200 per cent.
In a post on Truth Social, the US president said the policy is aimed at bringing generic pharmaceutical production back to the United States, with penalties for companies that choose not to establish manufacturing plants and equipment within the specified timeframe.
Also read: 200% Trump tariff shock? India’s cheap pills may still beat US rivals
“Effective August 1st, 2026, all Generic Drugs being brought into the United States will continue to have a TARIFF of ZERO PERCENT for a two year period of time, after which the TARIFF will be raised to 100% for a one year period of time, and 200% thereafter,” he wrote.
Trump’s objective is to protect the American citizens, while the existing policy on patented, branded and innovative drugs remains unchanged.
“The objective of this Policy is to protect the people of the United States. The Policy on Patented, Branded, or Innovative Drugs, which has been so successful, will remain as is,” the post added.
“Pharmaceutical Facilities are being built, at a level never seen before, all over the United States of America,” he said.