India, Sept. 26 -- President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a 100% tariff on imported branded or patented pharmaceuticals, effective October 1, raising concerns that much of the cost will be passed onto consumers in the form of higher prices. The move aims to re-shore pharma manufacturing and eliminate some of the dependencies.

The fast-growing Indian exports to the US may be spared from the new tariff, as most of them are generic pharma drugs. India is the third-largest producer of pharma drugs by volume and accounts for 20% of the global export. Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including a punitive levy on Russian oil purchases, straining bilateral relations. The US also revoked a sanctions waiver allowing India to es...