The American Hospital Association said raising tariffs on Chinese-made medical supplies could create more problems.
In a letter to U.S. trade representatives, the AHA challenged the Biden administration's proposal to increase tariff rates on syringes, needles, personal protective equipment, and medical and surgical gloves. The administration said the plan will confront China's unfair trade practices and incentivize domestic medical supply manufacturing.
The AHA disagrees, arguing "this strategy may fail or bring negative unintended consequences."
China-based manufacturers dominate the market for some commonly used medical supplies, and other sources are unlikely to meet domestic demand, the AHA said, so the U.S. healthcare industry might have to continue buying these more expensive products. The organization also said hospitals have existing contracts with China-based manufacturers, and it is burdensome to test and adopt new devices.
Read the letter here.