Recently, Associate Professor Liu Sijia from School of Law and Intellectual Property collaborated with School of Public Health at Guangzhou Medical University to publish a correspondence article titled “USA–China tariffs on pharmaceuticals affect global health equity” in the latest issue of the prestigious international journal, The Lancet. The study conducted an in-depth analysis of the U.S. government's policy, under the leadership of President Trump, to impose a 145% punitive tariff on pharmaceuticals imported from China starting from April 10, 2025, and called on the global society to take action to jointly address the issues of global drug policies and public health governance under the U.S. “tariff hegemony”.
“Health equity” has always been a key focus of global health law. China, as the world's largest supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), accounts for 72% of US imports of crucial medicines, including penicillin, heparin, and analgesics. APIs such as ibuprofen are unexempted by the tariffs, further exacerbating the expenses. Domestic manufacturers in the USA face insurmountable pressure to localize production within months. Consequently, price increases in the short term for essential drugs are inevitable, disproportionately burdening low-income populations and patients reliant on chronic therapies (e.g., insulin), jeopardizing their possibility of sustenance. From a global perspective, the tariffs also amplify systemic vulnerabilities. Low-income and middle-income countries will be confronted by exacerbated drug shortages and inflated prices. Additionally, the US policy weakens pandemic preparedness frameworks under the International Health Regulations. Meanwhile, WHO's multi-coordinated pharmaceutical tariff exemption frameworks are systematically dismantling, exposing the structural contradictions between public health governance and trade policy.
As a young legal scholar, Associate Professor Liu Sijia particularly urges the global society to decisively rebuild the global health security network through actively supporting tariff exemptions for essential medicines and promoting diversification of APIs to prevent protectionist policies from eroding public health. At the same time, it is necessary to actively oppose U.S. hegemony, promote tariff exemption negotiations for key drugs and urgently needed medications, reconstruct the drug supply chain, and advance global health equity. This is of great significance for ensuring that vulnerable groups worldwide are protected from political disruptions and have equal access to urgently needed treatments.
The School of Law and Intellectual Property at Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University is the affiliated institution for this study, with Associate Professor Liu Sijia as the first author and Dr. Ma Jialao as the corresponding author. The Lancet is one of the world's top seven journals and the top-ranked authoritative journal in the medical field, with unparalleled influence in both the academic and public spheres globally. Its 2023 impact factor stands at 98.4. This study marks the first time a scholar from our university has published a legal-related article in The Lancet, a development of profound significance.
