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 through Getty Photos
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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 recent tariffs and lift prices for shoppers, hospitals and producers.
The Division of Commerce stated Wednesday that the probes, opened Sept. 2 beneath the “Part 232” of the Commerce Growth Act, will assess whether or not such imports threaten U.S. nationwide safety, in accordance with Federal Register filings.
The newest probes broaden the checklist of things that might be uncovered to greater tariffs to incorporate private protecting gear corresponding to surgical masks, N95 respirators, gloves and different medical consumables, together with syringes and needles.
In addition they prolong to imported medical gear corresponding to wheelchairs, hospital beds and diagnostic and therapy units like pacemakers, insulin pumps and coronary heart valves.
“Prescription drugs, corresponding to pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medicine, biologics, and specialty medicine, won’t be lined beneath this investigation as these imports are being examined in a separate Part 232 investigation,” the Commerce Division stated.
The probes might be used as justification for recent sectoral tariffs aimed toward boosting home manufacturing of products deemed important to nationwide safety.
AdvaMed, the commerce group that represents medical know-how and system makers, burdened in an announcement Thursday that 70% of medical merchandise in U.S. hospitals are already “made in America throughout hundreds of producing amenities in all 50 states.”
The group stated it could proceed to work with the Trump administration, including, “We consider this course of will reinforce the truth that U.S. medtech manufacturing is powerful and decrease tariffs will gas extra manufacturing and job progress within the U.S., which suggests larger entry to lifesaving applied sciences and decrease prices to American hospitals and sufferers.”
The Division of Commerce is in search of feedback from corporations on their projected demand for these merchandise and whether or not home manufacturing can meet native demand and the function of international provide chains.
Corporations are additionally invited to stipulate the impression of international subsidies and what the administration described as “predatory commerce practices.”
The Trump administration has beforehand invoked Part 232 to impose levies on cars and components, copper, metal and aluminum.
Investigations into imports of prescribed drugs, semiconductors and chip elements corresponding to silicon wafers, chipmaking gear 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 high 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 international locations accounting for greater than 18% and 17% of whole U.S. equipment purchases in 2023, in accordance with knowledge from the U.S. Worldwide Commerce Fee.
The auto business might be among the many hardest hit by the most recent potential tariffs, because it accounted for the most important demand for industrial robots — 13,747 installations final 12 months, in accordance with the Worldwide Federation of Robotics. Most of these robots have 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 Photos
The potential levies on medical units and protecting gear may enhance prices for hospitals and sufferers, decreasing entry to important gear and care, specialists 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’t afford to drive up the price of well being look after sufferers, or on the well being care system,” he stated on the time. “The truth is, any elevated prices will likely 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 12 months, warning that greater tariffs may damage the standard of care.
Rick Pollack, the CEO of the American Hospital Affiliation, stated in April that “disruptions within the availability of those important units — a lot of that are sourced internationally — have the potential to disrupt affected person care.”
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.