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A Crisis of Foreign Dependence
Scott emphasized the urgency of the findings, stating, “The United States’ overreliance on foreign-made generic drugs, especially those made in adversarial nations, is a very real threat to all Americans, but especially our aging population.”
He highlighted that in the event that China or India “shut off the flow of these essential drugs, the U.S. would only have months of prescription drug supply, forcing us to begin rationing drugs… within a matter of weeks!”
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Key Statistics from the Report
The investigative report provided concrete data points illustrating the extent of U.S. reliance on foreign generic drug manufacturers:
- Dramatic Decline in U.S. Production: The U.S. manufactured only 37% of its consumed pharmaceuticals in 2024, a massive drop from 83% in 2002.
- China’s Dominance: China accounts for 95% of U.S. imports of ibuprofen, 70% of U.S. imports of acetaminophen, and up to 45% of U.S. imports of penicillin.
- API Vulnerability: Approximately 90% of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) for global antibiotics are of Chinese origin, and 83% of the top 100 generic drugs consumed by U.S. citizens have no U.S.-based source of APIs.
- India’s Interdependence: While India supplies approximately 50% of all generic drugs used in the U.S., Indian manufacturers rely heavily on China for approximately 80% of the API they use.
- Increased Adverse Events: A 2025 study found that the occurrence of serious adverse events (including hospitalization, disability, and death) for generic drugs manufactured in India was 54% higher than for equivalent drugs manufactured in the United States.
Policy Solutions and Next Steps
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The report offers several key policy recommendations:
- Establish a Federal Buyer’s Market for essential medicines, prioritizing American-made products first.
- Map our generic drug supply chains to identify vulnerabilities.
- Require companies to disclose the country of origin for finished pharmaceuticals.
- Utilize trade levers like the administration’s Section 232 investigation authority.
- Close loopholes that allow foreign-made products to be categorized as ‘Made in America.’
- Support U.S. biotechnology to reduce reliance on foreign ingredients.
Senator Scott concluded, “Congress has to work with the Trump administration and act now to make sure that Americans have safe and high-quality drugs and to secure the prescription drug supply chain.” The report stems from a series of hearings and a recent op-ed by Senator Scott, underscoring the committee’s focus on the issue.
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* Original Article:
https://www.tampafp.com/florida-sen-scott-report-targets-dangerous-u-s-reliance-on-china-india-drugs/