Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 7, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 1, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleRoche expects its U.S. agreement to spare its pharmaceutical imports from tariffs, but its diagnostics division remains vulnerable after the initial 150‑day tariff pause expires—potentially facing renewed duties on imports.
ZURICH, March 7 (Reuters) - Roche expects its agreement with the U.S. government will keep its medicines exempt from the current round of import tariffs, but its diagnostics division remains exposed and could face renewed duties after an initial 150-day period, Chairman Severin Schwan said on Saturday.
Roche was one of nine major pharmaceutical companies that agreed a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump in December to cut the prices of their medicines in return for removing the threat of tariffs for three years.
"As far as pharmaceuticals are concerned, we assume our agreement with the government is binding and that we will continue to be exempt from tariffs on the import of medicines," Schwan told Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung.
"But our diagnostics business continues to be significantly affected," he added.
Roche's diagnostics division, which generated sales of nearly 14 billion Swiss francs in 2025, exported a large share of its tests and instruments from Switzerland and other European countries to the United States, Schwan said.
Roche also produced diagnostics products in the U.S., which faced import tariffs from China, he said.
"But because China has introduced retaliatory tariffs, we end up, as a U.S. net exporter, paying tariffs twice. That's absurd," he said.
Schwan said he expected the U.S. government to impose import tariffs again under a different legal basis after the 150-day limit on tariffs expires.
Roche had no plans to split off its diagnostics division, he said. "That is not a topic at all. We are sticking with it," he told the newspaper.
(Reporting by John RevillEditing by Tomasz Janowski)
No, Roche's pharmaceutical division is exempt from current US import tariffs due to an agreement with the US government.
Yes, Roche's diagnostics division remains exposed and could face renewed import tariffs after an initial 150-day period.
Roche diagnostics products produced in the US and exported to China face Chinese retaliatory tariffs, causing Roche to pay tariffs twice as a net exporter.
No, Roche has no plans to split off its diagnostics division and intends to keep the business.
Roche's diagnostics division generated nearly 14 billion Swiss francs in 2025.
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