US Needs to Reduce Dependence on Chinese Drug Supplies, Says White House Trade Advisor

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro listens to a news conference about a presidential executive order relating to military veterans outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, U.S. March 4, 2019. Reuters/Leah Millis

The fallout from the coronavirus (officially known as COVID-19) outbreak is a “wake-up call” for the United States to reduce its dependence on pharmaceutical imports from China and elsewhere, White House trade advisor Peter Navarro said on Feb. 12.

Navarro, in an interview with The Financial Times, said the United States needs to examine its reliance on imported medical equipment, supplies, and drugs, as the outbreak disrupts the pharmaceutical industry’s global supply chain that is largely dependent on China.