Overview

• President Donald Trump announced new import duties effective October 1: 100% on branded or patented pharmaceuticals, 50% on kitchen and bathroom furniture and related items, and 25% on heavy trucks.
• The White House outlined a carve‑out for branded drugs if a company is building U.S. manufacturing, defining construction as a site that is initiated or under way.
• EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič said the August U.S.–EU framework capping most tariffs at 15% remains in force for European goods including pharmaceuticals, pointing to recent U.S. notices implementing the cap in several sectors.
• Steel and aluminium remain outside that arrangement and continue to face 50% U.S. duties, highlighting unresolved exclusions even as consultations continue.
• Industry and government responses are building, with Mexico formally objecting to the truck measure and European manufacturers such as Volvo and Daimler flagged as potentially exposed in the U.S. market.