One of the potential unintended consequences of President Donald Trump's draconian new tariff regime on China could be the collapse of the supply chain to manufacture a vital and inexpensive drug necessary for hospitalized people, The Washington Post reported on Friday.
Specifically, the anticoagulant drug heparin, vital for ensuring some patients don't develop blood clots on lines that put nutrients directly into their bodies, requires ingredients from Chinese plants — which could be part of the new 145 percent tax Trump is enacting on that country.
"The main focus of President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff campaign has been high-profile industries such as steel, automobiles and consumer electronics. But on Tuesday, Trump warned that another target will soon be the wide variety of medications whose active pharmaceutical ingredients are largely made in China and India," said the report. "No one knows how big a tariff is coming or what its effect on generic drugs like heparin may be. But along the supply chain ... many are worried."
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The story profiled one patient who relies on heparin: Wanda Crowell, who is being treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
"A two-time cancer survivor, the 66-year-old has not been able to eat solid food since 2021. She also needs heparin to treat a history of blood clots," said the report. "For Crowell, there is no suitable alternative. While other patients may have options, she cannot take oral medications." A clot could block her central line and render her incapable of getting the nutrients she needs to live.
Elliott Haut, a trauma surgeon at the same hospital, had a blunt outlook on the situation.
“If these medications are suddenly more expensive, who is going to foot that bill? Because my patients simply cannot survive without these drugs," Haut said.
Trump's original so-called "reciprocal tariff" tariff plan, announced last week, imposes 10 to 49 percent import duties on essentially every country, calculated according to the U.S. trade deficit with each respective nation — even if that deficit is not caused by political trade barriers or other uncompetitive policies.
Reacting to market downturn and panic from experts predicting a recession, Trump imposed a 90-day grace period where all countries will be subject only to the minimum 10 percent tariff — except China, whose rates he raised even higher.
