Washington, Dec 20 (NationPress) US President Donald Trump has established a direct connection between his initiative to lower prescription drug costs and a broader strategy focused on trade and manufacturing. He asserted that tariffs and domestic investments will instigate a global transformation in pharmaceutical pricing.

“We were like a whipping post,” Trump remarked on Friday, reflecting on the historical context of US drug pricing. “In some instances, we were paying only one-tenth of the prices for medications that are sold in Europe.”

He indicated that foreign governments only consented to price modifications after the administration imposed threats of trade sanctions.

Trump made these statements while surrounded by senior officials from health and commerce, including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, along with executives from major pharmaceutical companies.

“If you don’t comply, we will have to resort to tariffs,” Trump warned. “And they promptly agreed to the terms.”

He announced that pharmaceutical corporations had committed to providing medications to American consumers at prices aligned with global benchmarks and would make them accessible through a government-supported platform.

“All consumers will receive substantial discounts,” he emphasized.

Attendees included Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan, Genentech CEO Ashley Magargee, Boehringer Ingelheim (USA) CEO Jean-Michel Boers, Gilead CEO Dan O’Day, GSK CEO Emma Walmsley, Merck CEO Robert Davies, Bristol Myers Squibb General Counsel Cari Gallman, and Amgen Executive Vice President Peter Griffith.

Trump noted that this pricing reform would be accompanied by extensive domestic investments.

“Together, they will invest over $150 billion to enhance domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing in the United States,” he stated.

He added that companies are already establishing new facilities nationwide.

“They are constructing plants across all states, all over the country,” Trump remarked.

He characterized the initiative as revolutionary for healthcare expenses.

“This is the most significant development in drug pricing and healthcare,” he declared.

The topic of US drug pricing has long been intertwined with discussions about innovation, trade, and national security, with industry leaders arguing that high costs support research while critics contend that consumers bear the financial weight.

Trump has increasingly integrated healthcare policies with trade enforcement, utilizing tariffs and reshoring commitments as instruments to reshape global supply chains and pricing frameworks.