This op-ed originally appeared in The Buffalo News.
When it comes to China and our national security, you don’t invite the fox into the henhouse. Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler recognizes this, which is why he has spearheaded legislation to restrict Beijing’s access to sensitive U.S. technologies like semiconductors and AI.
Now, a bipartisan group of his colleagues in the Senate are hoping to apply a similar level of scrutiny to Chinese-sourced medications.
As the world’s pharmaceutical leader, the U.S. has one of the most advanced medicine manufacturing ecosystems on the planet. But that position is becoming increasingly vulnerable.
While 90% of all prescriptions filled in America are generic, a majority of the ingredients needed to produce these lower-cost drugs are manufactured overseas − particularly in China.
That dependence poses a direct threat to the millions of Americans who rely on a steady supply of lifesaving treatments. If Beijing were to weaponize pharmaceutical exports, patients would bear the consequences.
The story doesn’t end at generics. Today, Chinese firms account for roughly one-third of all global biopharmaceutical licensing deals. That’s a sixfold increase since 2015.
To hedge against China’s medicine manufacturing growth, President Trump has signed orders slashing red tape for companies looking to onshore drug production. The Senate is taking additional action by directing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to investigate ways to incentivize more domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Several regions are well-positioned to take advantage of the potential Made-in-America medicine boom, including New York State.
Meanwhile, the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico boasts ready-made infrastructure and logistics tailored specifically for pharmaceutical production. The island also has one of the largest concentrations of STEM professionals in the U.S.
Lawler, who represents the Hudson Valley, has long recognized Puerto Rico’s strategic importance. He noted in May, “As we saw in Covid, we allowed the prescription drug precursors to go to China. … It was a mistake for Puerto Rico…it was a mistake for the United States.”
The medicines Americans rely on should be developed by trusted partners here at home – not by our greatest geopolitical rival. Puerto Rico is helping to clear the way.
James Bowers is the executive director of Opportunity Puerto Rico.