B3Trade
EU and US agree a 15% cap that covers medicines
A joint statement set out a 15% ceiling on US tariffs for most EU goods, and said pharmaceuticals would be held to the same ceiling.
Dateline
Brussels
Berlaymont, European Commission headquarters, Brussels Photo: Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
In one lineEuropean-made peptide drugs got a ceiling on what they pay to enter the US.
What was agreed
After a framework deal in late July, the EU and the US published a joint statement in August 2025. It said US tariffs on most EU goods would not exceed 15%, and that any future US tariffs on pharmaceuticals would also be held to that ceiling for EU products.
Why it matters for peptides
Europe is a major source of peptide medicines:
- Denmark: large ingredient plants for Novo Nordisk;
- Ireland and Italy: filling and finishing for several companies;
- Belgium and the Netherlands: contract manufacturing.
A ceiling gives these sites a known cost, compared with a possible 100% rate elsewhere.
Who is outside
Switzerland, home to several peptide makers, negotiated separately. At the time of the joint statement, Swiss goods faced a higher US rate.
The caveat
Trade terms changed several times in 2025. Treat this as the position in August 2025.
What it changes for supply
Much peptide ingredient and finishing sits in Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland and Italy. A cap makes costs more predictable for plants already in Europe.
Still open
Switzerland is not in the EU and was not covered by the same deal at the time.
SourceEU–US joint statement, August 2025
Peptide Global covers how medicines are made and traded. Nothing here is medical advice.
