One Year In: How Medtech Companies Are Coping With Tariff Challenges

MedTech Dive quoted Covington International Trade lawyer Arun Venkataraman in a deep-dive analysis of how medical technology companies are navigating the ongoing fallout from the Trump administration’s tariff policies one year after “Liberation Day,” with the industry absorbing significant costs while avoiding price increases and R&D cuts.

Arun noted that because medical devices are covered separately in the administration’s Section 232 investigation, the administration would have to decide whether to exclude them from Section 301 reviews. Drawing a parallel to the recently concluded pharma Section 232 probe — which exempted companies that committed to manufacturing more in the U.S. and signed most-favored-nation pricing deals — he said it is possible the administration may similarly be open to negotiating deals that grant tariff relief to medtech companies that commit to investing domestically.

Arun also advised medtech companies importing products such as chemicals and other reagents to examine whether they are affected by the pharma Section 232 decision, and flagged the broader complexity of the current trade landscape. “You have this mosaic of tariffs that medical device manufacturers have to navigate,” he said.