The newly created U.S.-China Board of Trade released its first “30-for-30” list Sept. 27, identifying products the two countries will consider for reciprocal tariff reductions. Personal protective equipment and other critical medical supplies are not included.
The board was established to manage trade in nonsensitive products between the two countries. The list covers goods the U.S. and China will each consider importing from the other at reduced tariffs, “consistent with their respective domestic laws and processes.”
The American Medical Manufacturers Association praised the exclusion of medical supplies from the list.
“Masks, gloves, gowns, and syringes don’t belong on it. They are national security goods,” AMMA Executive Director Eric Axel said in a Sept. 28 news release, noting roughly 80% to 90% of U.S. PPE supply currently comes from abroad.
The decision comes as broader Section 301 tariff actions continue to reshape the medical supply landscape. In June, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative determined that 60 economies had failed to impose or effectively enforce prohibitions on imports produced with forced labor and proposed tariffs of up to 12.5%. In July, USTR finalized tariffs of 10% or 12.5% on the 60 trading partners, subject to certain product exemptions.
Hospital groups have pushed for exemptions for medical goods. For instance, the AHA asked USTR in July to exempt medications, medical devices and PPE from the tariffs, citing data showing 94% of plastic gloves and about half of medical devices used in the U.S. are imported.
