Opinion

America is too dependent on drugs from China. Worst-case scenario could be disastrous

Chinese companies now dominate drug discovery too, projected to account for 35% of new drug approvals by 2040

By Rebeccah Heinrichs , Michael Sobolik Fox News

Published April 8, 2026 5:00am EDT

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Policymakers have been aware of U.S. vulnerability to China’s supply chain dominance for decades and have contemplated the possibility of Beijing weaponizing its control by throttling exports to the United States. Last summer, Chinese President Xi Jinping did. Relying on an adversary’s good graces on matters of national health and security invites disaster. But critical minerals are only one weakness. Washington also relies on Beijing for the nation’s pharmaceuticals. It should be intolerable. 

In 2000, America imported roughly 100,000 metric tons of pharmaceuticals. By 2024, that figure had jumped above 800,000 metric tons. Last year, the United States imported roughly 90% of inputs for prescription drugs. About half of these medicines come from India, but India sources 70% to 80% of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from China. 

America’s medical dependency on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) does not end there. Chinese companies are now beginning to outpace U.S. competitors in drug discovery, not merely drug production. Consider this warning from the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology: "In just three years, China’s biopharmaceutical industry rose from near irrelevance to dominance."

What does that mean practically? Per the commission’s findings: "This overall innovation trend is set to accelerate, with Chinese drugs projected to account for 35%" of new drug approvals by 2040.

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The United States has become dangerously reliant on China for prescription medicines. (iStock)

Americans are witnessing the offshoring of our medicine supply chains to a........

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