Device Makers Protest Trump China Tariffs, Say Getting New Suppliers Through FDA Difficult

Fearing Chinese retaliatory tariffs and the ensuing price hikes, medical device manufacturers urged U.S. States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer to remove medical devices and technology from a proposed list of goods for which an additional 25 percent tariff would be imposed. The manufacturers argued that a trade war over devices would increase the regulatory burden by requiring companies request FDA approval of new suppliers of components and raw materials; hurt companies’ profit margins; undermine the American medical technology industry;...