Overview

• The investigations began on Sept. 2 and were publicly disclosed this week, with a Federal Register notice on Sept. 26 opening a short comment period for the medical-equipment review.
• The medical inquiry spans PPE, consumables and devices such as masks, gloves, gowns, syringes, ventilators, imaging machines, pacemakers and insulin pumps, excluding pharmaceuticals that are under a separate probe.
• The robotics and industrial machinery review covers programmable systems, milling and machine tools, stamping and pressing machines, autoclaves, industrial ovens, and laser and water-cutting equipment.
• Commerce is seeking data on U.S. production capacity, foreign supply-chain dependence, subsidies and the potential for export restrictions to be used as leverage, with no new tariffs imposed at this stage.
• Under Section 232, Commerce has up to 270 days to issue recommendations to the president, industry groups like AdvaMed and Minnesota’s Medical Alley have warned of higher costs for patients, and several medtech stocks fell on the news.