Resolution on the Importance of Strengthening the United States’ Medical Supply Chains with Trusted Trading Partners

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Policy Status

  • Type: Model Resolution
  • Status: Draft
  • Date Introduced: July 17, 2025

Issues

  • International Trade

    • Task Forces

  • Health and Human Services
  • Federalism, Homeland Security and International Relations

    • Tags

  • 2025 Annual Meeting

    • Summary

    This resolution recognizes the importance of the United States maintaining and promoting open trade in medical goods with trusted and reliable trading partners, such as Australia, the European Union, Japan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. While over-reliance on nations like China for essential medicines creates public health and national security vulnerabilities for the United States, trade with trusted and reliable trading partners complements U.S. production, enhances supply chain resilience, and enables Americans to access a wider range of medical treatments, including life-saving medical treatments. This resolution calls on the President of the United States to preserve and promote open trade in medicines and ingredients with trusted trading partners, while prioritizing efforts to reduce imports of essential medicines from unreliable countries.
    Draft

    Resolution on the Importance of Strengthening the United States’ Medical Supply Chains with Trusted Trading Partners

    WHEREAS, the United States must have reliable access to essential medicines to protect public health and national security; and

    WHEREAS, the People’s Republic of China is actively seeking to be a global leader in the supply of medicines and medicine ingredients; and

    WHEREAS, the United States has become dependent on China for certain medicines and ingredients, especially essential generic medicines; and

    WHEREAS, experts have warned that China could leverage this dependency to restrict the supply of these products to the United States, which would significantly impact American patients; and

    WHEREAS, longstanding U.S. trading partners such as Australia, the European Union, Japan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are important suppliers of medicines and ingredients to the United States, and afford reciprocal tariff-free treatment to U.S. medicines and ingredients; and

    WHEREAS, trade in medicines and ingredients with these trusted and reliable countries complements and supports U.S. production, mitigates the risk of supply chain disruptions, and enables Americans to access a broader range of medical treatments; and

    WHEREAS, expanding trade in medicines and ingredients with these trusted and reliable countries through bilateral or sectoral trade agreements would benefit the United States, including by reducing reliance on unreliable countries; and

    WHEREAS, the imposition of tariffs on medicines and ingredients from these trusted and reliable countries would increase costs, disrupt supply chains, and increase the risk of supply shortages that could harm American patients; and

    WHEREAS, medicines and their supply chains are exceptionally complex, such that any effort to alter these supply chains must be undertaken very carefully to avoid disruptions; and

    WHEREAS, the United States Department of Commerce has initiated an investigation pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act to determine whether imports of medicines and ingredients threaten to impair national security; and

    WHEREAS, the President of the United States, in his January 20, 2025 Memorandum on America First Trade Policy, expressed support for the negotiation of bilateral or sector-specific trade agreements;

    NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the state of [INSERT STATE] calls on the President of the United States to explore policies that can reduce the United States’ dependence on China for certain essential medicines; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state of [INSERT STATE] calls on the President of the United States to preserve and strengthen tariff-free trade in medicines and ingredients with trusted and reliable trading partners, such as Australia, the European Union, Japan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, including through the negotiation of bilateral or sector-specific agreement with these economies and by not imposing tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act on imports of medicines and ingredients from these economies; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be forwarded to the Secretary of Commerce, to the United States Trade Representative, to the Directors of the National Economic Council and the National Security Council, and to the Secretary of State.