• Posted October 17, 2025

U.S. Drug Supply Deeply Dependent on Chinese Ingredients

A new analysis reveals how deeply the U.S. drug supply chain depends on China, and experts warn that a trade war could leave American patients at risk.

Nearly 700 medicines used in the U.S. contain at least one chemical sourced only in China, according to U.S. Pharmacopeia, a nonprofit that monitors the drug supply. 

Those chemicals are crucial ingredients in drugs that treat common conditions, including heart disease, cancer and HIV.

The findings were published Wednesday as tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to grow.

"Our hope is that by having better data and more visibility, that can inform targeted interventions into creating resilience and security for patients,” Carrie Harney, an official at U.S. Pharmacopeia, told The New York Times.

China is the only known source of certain ingredients in antibiotics like amoxicillin, as well as generic drugs for seizures, allergies and heart problems. Even the chemical ingredients in Benadryl, the popular allergy medication, come from China.

While factories in India, Canada and other countries handle the later stages of production, China dominates the main steps. 

Manufacturing these raw materials is considered unprofitable in the U.S. due to higher labor costs and strict environmental rules, while Chinese facilities can produce them at a lower cost, The Times reported.

President Donald Trump recently proposed a 100% tariff on all products from China, a move that could drive up the cost of medicines that rely on Chinese ingredients.

The administration has said generic drugs won’t face tariffs, but many brand-name pharmaceutical companies are rushing to build or expand domestic plants in response to ongoing pressure to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.

However, experts warn that these new plants won’t solve the core problem. Most are designed to handle later stages of drug production, not the raw chemicals currently coming from overseas. 

The multistep process of making medicine often spans several countries: raw materials from China, active ingredients from India and final formulations from other places. That means even drugs that seem globally sourced can still rely on China.

For example, while factories in Jordan, India and Canada make finished amoxicillin, two of its raw materials are made only in China, the report found.

More information

PhRMA has more on pharmaceutical manufacturing.

SOURCE: The New York Times, Oct. 15, 2025