US President Donald Trump has announced a 50% tariff on copper, now matching the tariffs already present on steel and aluminum. While there was speculation that tariffs on steel and aluminum could decrease, increased tariffs on copper could be a signal that 50% tariffs will remain in place for aluminum and steel. Despite tariffs on materials in medical devices, there is currently no evidence that healthcare facilities are bulk buying these devices, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Steel is commonly used in manufacturing across medical devices, including implantable devices and instruments. Aluminum is also used in medical device manufacturing, from hospital equipment to heart monitors. The manufacturing of these devices will continue to be more expensive. Currently, suggested tariffs do not exempt medical devices, leading to higher costs across the board.

According to GlobalData’s US Healthcare Facility Invoicing Database, across 56 tracked medical device markets, there has been no significant overall increase in spending from January to May this year.

Amy Paterson, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “While some markets have seen an increase in spending, it does not appear that healthcare facilities have been stocking up on medical devices in preparation for potential price increases or supply chain disruptions due to tariffs. Although these tariffs are likely to impact distribution and increase consumer costs, some facilities may not have the financial resources to buy devices in advance.”

As May and June data is being reported to the US Healthcare Facility Invoicing Database, facilities are still steadily spending with no significant increase or decrease in purchase amounts. GlobalData will continue to monitor healthcare facility spending trends to assess any impact of tariffs.