Manufacturing on the Move: Tariffs, Reshoring, and the Germany Investigation

In this segment, Kirsten Axelsen discusses how reshoring incentives and tariff exposure are reshaping pharmaceutical manufacturing and launch decisions.

Axelsen explains that a shift toward manufacturing in the market where a company sells was already underway in the post-pandemic era as company portfolios moved toward more complex specialty drugs, and that this trend is accelerating as companies weigh tariff exposure and the possibility of a more permanent MFN policy. She also addresses the recent Section 301 investigation into Germany's own drug cost-control policies, noting that the U.S. has historically shown little interest in intervening in other countries' pricing practices — even as U.S. prices remain high relative to Europe and Japan, where patients often face longer wait times for new medicines.

Manufacturing, supply chain, and trade policy teams will gain a clearer picture of how reshoring incentives, tariff exposure, and cross-border pricing disputes are reshaping global manufacturing decisions.