Roche says will invest $50 bn in US, as tariff war uncertainty swells

Zurich: Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche on Tuesday announced plans to invest $50 billion in the United States over the next five years, following in...

Zurich: Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche on Tuesday announced plans to invest $50 billion in the United States over the next five years, following in the footsteps of rival Novartis, with US President Donald Trump's tariff war fuelling uncertainty in the sector.

The United States is a key market for the pharmaceutical industry, representing more than half of the revenue of Roche's pharmaceutical division.

Its Swiss competitor Novartis also announced earlier this month that it plans to invest $23 billion in the United States over five years.

Trump's administration is blowing hot and cold on pharmaceutical products, which initially benefited from exemptions in the round of tariffs announced on April 2.

But last week, the US commerce secretary formally announced "national security" investigations into pharmaceutical imports, plus others on semiconductors and chip-making equipment.