Medical Technology Takes Hit From Tariffs While Fighting Off Tax

Makers of pacemakers, surgical gloves, and patient monitoring systems may have to dig even deeper in their pockets by 2020 if the federal government continues to increase tariffs on goods from China and doesn’t completely repeal the medical device tax.

President Donald Trump proposed a 25 percent tariff spike in May, affecting up to $1.3 billion worth of medical devices, according to The Advanced Medical Technology Association. At the same time, the industry has been lobbying Congress—unsuccessfully so far—to repeal the 2.3 percent excise tax on product sales imposed on manufacturers and producers.

AdvaMed and other medical technology manufacturers asked ...