Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, VITAL BRIEFING—Britain avoids pharma tariffs, agrees to NHS drug pricing reforms, (Dec 5, 2025)
The National Health Service stands to pay increasing amounts for new drugs, rising eventually to $4 billion more for drugs each year than under the current pricing schemes.
In this edition of Tariffs Insights, Thomas Thompson explores a novel trade deal with the U.K. where the U.S. has agreed to exempt U.K. pharmaceutical products and medical technology from tariffs and will refrain from targeting U.K. pharmaceutical pricing practices in any future investigation for the duration of President Trump’s term. For its part the U.K. has agreed for its government health service to spend more on medicines and overhaul how it values drugs.
Thompson also revisits trade matters involving Brazil, where relations between Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have unexpectedly warmed during the past few weeks. Meanwhile, former president and Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro was abruptly sent to prison from house arrest to thwart an alleged escape attempt. Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence was recently confirmed by the Brazilian Supreme Court. Notwithstanding, President Trump decided to rescind his punishing 40 percent tariffs on Brazilian coffee and beef imports in the later part of November.
To read the article, click Britain avoids pharma tariffs, agrees to NHS drug pricing reforms.
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