WASHINGTON - The United States on Monday exempted British pharmaceuticals from import tariffs under a unique deal which sees the UK increase spending on American drugs by 25 percent.
The accord aims to "address long-standing imbalances in US-UK pharmaceutical trade," ending what US trade ambassador Jamieson Greer called an arrangement where "American patients have been forced to subsidise prescription drugs and biologics in other developed countries."
Under the deal struck between the administrations of US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Britain's publicly-funded National Health Service (NHS) will increase its prices for new US treatments by 25 percent.
The agreement means Britain will be exempted from hefty US tariffs imposed on pharma imports that entered force on October 1. It is the only country to reach such a deal.
The lofty price of medications has been a major political issue in the United States for years, with a Rand Corporation study showing Americans paid 2.5 times as much for pharmaceuticals as in France.
Prior to Monday's announcement, the Trump administration had announced tariffs of 100 percent on branded pharmaceuticals.
At the same time, the White House delayed the tariffs for three years with Pfizer and British group AstraZeneca after both agreed to invest in US manufacturing capacity.
British Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the latest deal will "ensure UK patients get the cutting-edge medicines they need sooner," while also enabling "life sciences companies to continue to invest and innovate right here in the UK."
The Trump administration said it "is reviewing the pharmaceutical pricing practices of many other US trading partners and hopes that they will follow suit with constructive negotiations".
As it stands, the European Union and Switzerland face pharma tariffs totalling 15 percent.