Reports indicate that Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida) is urging the Trump administration to implement new tariffs on Chinese manufacturers of generic drugs due to alleged forced labor practices involving Uyghurs. A letter, showcased by Blaze News, was sent by Scott on Monday to U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamison Greer.
In his letter, he emphasized, “Forced labor practices are categorically unacceptable and create a dynamic that victimizes American workers and manufacturers.”
Scott specifically called out Sinopharm, noted as China’s largest state-run pharmaceutical company, under suspicion for its connections to forced labor in Xinjiang. Notably, the company keeps a valid drug import license in the U.S. despite ongoing investigations.
He highlighted concerns from recent reports suggesting that primary suppliers for the U.S. generic drug market may be benefiting from Uyghur forced labor, asserting that Sinopharm and other companies are essential suppliers to Indian generic drug manufacturers. Some of these manufacturers offer a significant portion of prescriptions covered by Medicaid in the U.S.
“Forced labor practices are inherently unacceptable and create an environment where American workers and manufacturers face harm due to unrealistically low prices reliant on the systematic exploitation of individuals,” he added.
Neither Sinopharm nor Greer responded to inquiries from Blaze News.
Scott is requesting the U.S. Trade Representative to adopt previously proposed Section 301 tariffs on generic drugs and ingredients tied to forced labor or Chinese government subsidies, which currently range from 10% to 12.5%.
In addition, he advocates for the establishment of a separate, higher tier of tariffs aimed solely at the “most egregious participants” in forced labor practices. He insists that drug tariffs should coincide with tariffs on all other Chinese goods, advocating against any exceptions or delays.
He believes that current enforcement efforts are insufficient relative to the scale of the issue. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act operates under the assumption that anything produced in Xinjiang employs forced labor, yet only one of the 43 licensed pharmaceutical firms in the area has faced repercussions.
Scott argued that pharmaceuticals and chemicals rank as the second-largest category of goods intercepted under forced labor laws, with over $19 million worth of shipments rejected since 2022, according to Customs and Border Protection.
Simultaneously, other initiatives are under consideration to tackle this problem. Separate proposals are looking to restrict taxpayer-funded Medicaid reimbursements for medications whose production relies on forced labor, alongside significantly expanding the list of companies related to Xinjiang linked to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
Scott framed his tariff initiative within a broader context of Chinese trade violations, pointing out issues such as currency manipulation, intellectual property theft, misrepresentations in the 2020 Phase 1 trade agreement, and allegations of pollution covered up by Chinese mining companies in Zambia. He described China’s track record as both a trade cheat and a violator of human rights as unmatched globally.
This letter furthers Scott’s ongoing campaign against U.S. dependency on China-related generic medications, echoing themes from a study he published with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D.NY) in October 2025, as well as bipartisan legislation introduced in January aimed at enforcing country-of-origin labels on prescription drugs.
