KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — Pharmaniaga Berhad is engaging with local and international vendors and suppliers to evaluate any potential implications from the tariff war between the United States and China.
The Malaysian pharmaceutical company – which has exclusive concession to supply the Ministry of Health (MOH) over a third of its drug supply – added that it does not directly export to the US at present.
“Consequently, the recent imposition of tariffs by the US government has no immediate or direct impact on our operations. Nonetheless, we continue to maintain a vigilant and proactive stance in monitoring the potential indirect effects that could emerge through our extended global supply chain,” Pharmaniaga managing director Zulkifli Jafar told CodeBlue in a brief statement last Friday.
“To this end, we are actively engaging with our local and international vendors and suppliers to evaluate any potential implications they may face, which could subsequently affect Pharmaniaga.
“This continuous assessment allows us to anticipate and mitigate possible disruptions, ensuring the resilience, continuity, and efficiency of our operations remain intact.”
Like most countries, Malaysia is currently subject to a 10 per cent baseline tariff from the US for 90 days from last April 9.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said yesterday that the Trump administration’s decision to exempt a range of consumer electronics from tariffs implemented earlier this month was only temporary and that these items would be subject to “semiconductor tariffs” that will likely come in a month or two.
Besides semiconductor tariffs, Lutnick also told This Week that the US will impose sector-specific tariffs on pharmaceuticals. “We need to have medicines built in America,” he said. “We can’t have a war and be asking China to send over penicillin.”
The Malaysian Association of Pharmaceutical Suppliers (MAPS) said last Friday that US inflation and a stronger dollar may increase Malaysia’s drug import costs, even without direct tariffs.
The group of local pharmaceutical importers also requested for the right to review contract prices with the MOH if global trade disruptions lead to large fluctuations in procurement costs.
In an escalating trade war, the US has hiked tariffs on Chinese imports to 145 per cent, while China retaliated with a 125 per cent levy on all US goods.
