"Tariffs on laboratory diagnostics strike at the heart of the healthcare system. Without a diagnosis, there is no targeted therapy. The idea that laboratory tests and laboratory equipment with the associated preliminary products and components will become a bargaining chip in an impending trade war is more than worrying," explains Dr. Martin Walger, Managing Director of the VDGH. "Pharmaceuticals are to be exempted for humanitarian reasons. That is good and right, but falls short," says Walger.
The VDGH is therefore urging the EU Commission to completely exempt medical technologies from trade tariffs and export restrictions. Political clarity and decisive action are needed at European level in order not to jeopardize comprehensive patient-centered healthcare. Germany also has a responsibility to lobby Brussels now for an exemption for healthcare goods. The VDGH expressly supports the call for a sector-specific "zero-for-zero" approach in a transatlantic trade agreement that mutually waives tariffs for healthcare goods and their preliminary products.
The IVD industry is highly interconnected, innovative and international. Many of its products consist of preliminary products and specialized components that cannot simply be exchanged. The life science research industry, which is also represented by the VDGH, is particularly affected by the threat of tariffs on enzymes. Enzymes have important functions in the metabolism of living organisms and accelerate biochemical reactions. The development of new diagnostics, medicines and vaccines, as well as ecological achievements such as bio-recycling, would be impossible without enzymes. Additional trade barriers would severely disrupt existing supply chains - with a massive impact on medical care and beyond.
"We need reliable trade relations in order to secure the supply of diagnostic services in the future," continues Walger. "Politicians must set an example now: Health does not belong on the sanctions list."
