The Trump administration’s announcement on new tariffs for pharmaceutical imports, stemming from a national security probe, is expected to be delayed by several weeks, according to four officials and industry sources familiar with the process.

The review, launched in April under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, is examining whether dependence on foreign-made prescription drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and other raw materials poses a threat to US national security.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had initially projected completion between mid-May and mid-June, later revising the timeline to the end of July, and then to mid-August.

President Donald Trump has said the tariff plan will involve phased increases, potentially rising to 250%, to give drugmakers time to shift production to the United States. While the probe is ongoing, the sector remains exempt from the administration’s broader tariff measures.

Sources told Reuters the delay is partly due to competing priorities, including the US–Russia summit in Alaska on Friday, and an expected sequence in which the results of a similar semiconductor investigation will be announced first.

Bilateral trade deals with the UK, Japan, South Korea, and the EU are expected to provide those partners with more favourable terms for pharmaceutical exports than the global tariff regime under consideration.

Historically, medical goods have been spared from trade disputes due to patient access concerns. Drugmakers have warned that sweeping tariffs could undermine US policy goals, such as lowering prescription drug prices.