STAT+: Trump administration delays new rule that could restrict imported medicines from Canada and overseas — SkimNews
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- The Trump administration is delaying by 90 days a federal rule initially set to take effect Oct. 22 that could have prevented Americans from obtaining prescription drugs from licensed international pharmacies in Canada and other countries.
- The rule targets the de minimis exemption, which previously allowed shipments valued under $800 to pass through customs more easily without paying tariffs or submitting tracking data.
- Patient advocacy groups and dozens of congressional lawmakers urged the administration to rethink the approach in recent weeks, arguing it would drastically reduce the flow of imported medicines.
- The administration says the rule was designed to crack down on illegal goods, particularly opioids, that it says enter the U.S. through low-value foreign shipments.
- Shippers of low-value parcels generally do not pay tariffs or submit data for tracking, which the administration cites as the enforcement gap the rule was meant to close.
Why it matters: Americans who depend on licensed Canadian and overseas pharmacies for lower-cost prescriptions get a 90-day reprieve, but the underlying policy fight is unresolved: the administration says it still wants to close the de minimis loophole to block illegal opioids, while patient groups and dozens of lawmakers argue the same policy would choke off legitimate medicine imports.
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