Speaking to reporters after the bilateral meeting, Rubio was asked whether Jaishankar had raised concerns over Trump’s proposed tariffs, given India’s dominant role in supplying generic medicines to the US.
“I mean, not with me, we didn’t get into depth on pharmaceuticals today. Obviously, I would expect them to be concerned about it, but they didn’t raise it today. They might have with others in our system because we obviously deal with Indians; we’re very close to them,” Rubio said.
Journalist: Did India’s Jaishankar raise concerns about Trump’s tariff threat on generic drugs with you? Many Americans buy their drugs from India
Secretary Rubio: I’d expect India to be concerned. But they didn’t raise it today. We’re very close to India. pic.twitter.com/KdE8AgkSb0
— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) July 22, 2026
His remarks came after the two leaders reiterated the importance of concluding an interim India-US trade agreement during their meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meetings in Manila.
Rubio’s comments follow Trump’s latest proposal to impose steep tariffs on imported generic medicines.
In a post on Truth Social, the US President said generic drug manufacturers would have two years to shift production to the United States or face a 100% import tariff, with the levy doubling a year later. Markets are still awaiting details of the proposed executive order.
The announcement rattled pharmaceutical stocks, with the Nifty Pharma index falling 1.3% on Wednesday. Dr Reddy’s Laboratories declined 1.9%, while Cipla lost 1.2%, as investors assessed the potential impact on Indian exporters.
India is the largest supplier of generic medicines to the US, accounting for more than half of prescriptions for birth-control pills, antidepressants and hypertension drugs in 2024, according to a Bloomberg report.
The country also hosts the highest number of US Food and Drug Administration-approved manufacturing facilities outside the United States, reinforcing its position as the world’s largest producer of affordable generic medicines.
Separately, addressing the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Jaishankar stressed the need for stronger cooperation to build resilient supply chains amid growing geopolitical uncertainty.
“No single nation or even grouping can deal with it on its own,” he said, adding that energy, food and health security could no longer be taken for granted in an increasingly volatile global environment.
Rubio’s remarks suggest that while Washington expects New Delhi to have concerns over the proposed pharmaceutical tariffs, the issue was not directly discussed during his meeting with Jaishankar, with both sides instead focusing on advancing the broader bilateral trade agenda.
Later, a spokesperson for the US Department of State confirmed that Rubio met Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Manila and discussed key regional and bilateral issues.
The two leaders reviewed recent developments in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, underscoring the importance of continued cooperation, the State Department said in a statement.
Rubio and Jaishankar also discussed finalising major defence agreements in line with commitments made by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. They further agreed on the importance of concluding an interim trade deal, noting that negotiations are nearly complete.
