What are the top pharmaceuticals imported to the US?

Top US pharmaceutical imports by HS code in 2025: What pharmaceuticals are imported to the US?

Based on verified TradeInt's shipment records, sterile surgical materials and diagnostic tools (HS 300600) lead US pharmaceutical imports in 2025 with US$26.60 billion (36.61%), followed by first-aid boxes and kits (HS 300650) at US$25.51 billion (35.11%) and hormone-based pharmaceutical products (HS 300660) at US$5.87 billion (8.08%).

Top 5 US pharmaceutical import categories by 6-digit HS code in 2025:

1. HS 300600 - Sterile surgical materials and diagnostic tools: US$26.60 billion (36.61%). Secures critical sterile surgical materials and diagnostic tools, stabilizing US hospital readiness and reducing domestic healthcare supply costs.
2. HS 300650 - First-aid boxes and kits: US$25.51 billion (35.11%). Secures high-volume, affordable emergency supplies for US industrial and consumer sectors, mitigating 2025 domestic price volatility.
3. HS 300660 - Hormone-based pharmaceutical products: US$5.87 billion (8.08%). Stabilizes reproductive health markets by providing cost-effective hormonal products via diverse global supply chains to maintain price consistency.
4. HS 300630 - Diagnostic reagents: US$3.08 billion (4.25%). Vital for US medical imaging; global sourcing reduces diagnostic overhead and ensures resilience in high-demand hospital screening services.
5. HS 300691 - Specialized pharmaceutical appliances: US$2.78 billion (3.82%). Critical for chronic care; importing specialized appliances addresses domestic manufacturing gaps and ensures patient quality of life.

Sterile surgical materials, first-aid kits, and hormone-based pharmaceutical products together account for 79.80% of the US pharmaceutical import value in 2025, reflecting heavy concentration in clinical-grade procurement for hospitals, emergency-preparedness systems, and reproductive health markets. The top 3 HS codes draw from a multi-country supplier base spanning India, Europe, China, and South Korea, supporting US supply diversification across the most clinically essential product categories.

Key dynamics shaping US pharmaceutical imports by HS code in 2025-2026:

• Multi-source redundancy in critical categories: Sterile surgical materials and first-aid kits are sourced in parallel from multiple top exporter countries, reducing single-supplier dependency for US hospital procurement.
• Localized US manufacturing expansion: From Fierce Pharma, major drugmakers including AstraZeneca, Aurobindo, Celltrion, and Hikma have announced US-based manufacturing investments through 2025-2026, signaling continued commitment to American pharmaceutical supply chains.

Top 1 Pharmaceuticals imported to the US by HS 300600: Sterile surgical materials

Sterile surgical materials (HS 300600) are the largest US pharmaceutical import category in 2025 at US$26.60 billion (36.61%), consisting of sterile surgical materials and diagnostic tools essential to American hospital readiness. The category is sourced across India, Belgium, South Korea, Germany, and China, anchoring multi-supplier resilience for US surgical and clinical procurement.

• Product scope: Sterile surgical preparations, clinical-grade absorbents, and operating-room consumables used across US surgical, wound-care, and diagnostic workflows.
• US market role: Stabilizes hospital inventory for routine and high-acuity surgical procedures, with multi-country sourcing reducing exposure to single-supplier disruption.
• Leading partners: India holds the largest HS 300600 share (54.15% of India's mix), followed by South Korea (52.24%) and Belgium (42.59%), reflecting concentrated specialization in sterile-supply manufacturing across these exporters.

Top 2 Pharmaceuticals imported to the US by HS code 300650: First-aid boxes and kits

First-aid boxes and kits (HS 300650) are the second-largest US pharmaceutical import category in 2025 at US$25.51 billion (35.11%), including first-aid boxes, kits, and emergency-preparedness supplies. The category serves US industrial, workplace, consumer, and first-response sectors, with the broadest cross-country supplier base among top pharmaceutical import lines.

• Product scope: Standardized first-aid kits, emergency response boxes, and packaged medical-preparedness supplies meeting US FDA and OSHA-aligned quality standards.
• US market role: Supports workplace safety compliance, industrial preparedness, and consumer-channel emergency supply availability across retail and institutional buyers.
• Leading partners: Belgium (42.43% of its mix), Germany (41.76%), and China (35.31%) lead in HS 300650 specialization, with India and South Korea contributing additional supply at a meaningful scale.

Top 3 Pharmaceuticals imported to the US by HS code 300660: Hormone-based pharmaceutical products

Hormone-based pharmaceutical products (HS 300660) are the third-largest US pharmaceutical import category in 2025 at US$5.87 billion (8.08%), covering hormone-based contraceptive preparations and related products. The category supports US reproductive health markets and is sourced primarily from India, China, and Germany, with all top 5 partners contributing supply.

• Product scope: Chemical contraceptive preparations based on hormones and related hormone-based pharmaceutical products meeting US FDA regulatory standards.
• US market role: Underpins US reproductive health and family planning supply, with diverse global sourcing supporting price stability and product availability across retail pharmacy and clinical channels.
• Leading partners: India accounts for the largest HS 300660 share within its mix (14.94%), followed by China (8.91%) and Germany (7.06%), with Belgium and South Korea also supplying meaningful volumes.

Top pharmaceutical imported to the US: Market breakdown

The US pharmaceutical imports market is structurally dependent on foreign manufacturing across both Finished Dosage Forms (FDF) and upstream ingredient sourcing, creating a layered pharmaceutical supply chain rather than a diversified sourcing base.

While high-value branded pharmaceuticals, biologics, and specialty medicines are primarily supplied by advanced European manufacturing hubs, the US drug import market relies heavily on Asia for high-volume generic medicines and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) imports.

Key US pharmaceutical imports market breakdown:

• API concentration risk: China remains a dominant force in active pharmaceutical ingredient imports to the USA, supplying critical pharmaceutical raw materials, bulk pharmaceutical chemicals, and intermediates used in finished drug manufacturing. This creates a major upstream bottleneck in the pharmaceutical manufacturing supply chain, where disruptions can affect multiple therapeutic categories simultaneously.
• Generic medicine dependency: Roughly 70–80% of our generic drug imports and API imports are tied to Asian manufacturing ecosystems, particularly for essential prescription medicines such as antibiotics. This makes imported medicine supplies in the USA highly dependent on external production continuity.
• Interconnected supplier exposure: India remains a major source of finished pharmaceutical imports to the USA, particularly generic Finished Dosage Forms, but its pharmaceutical production depends heavily on Chinese APIs and starting materials. This creates indirect concentration risk across the global pharmaceutical trade flow.
• Procurement restructuring: Across the US pharmaceutical supply chain, buyers are shifting toward supplier diversification, regional sourcing expansion, and larger inventory buffers, moving away from lean just-in-time pharmaceutical procurement.

Conclusion

The structure of US pharmaceutical imports reveals where healthcare dependency is most concentrated: not in blockbuster prescription drugs alone, but in the clinical products that keep hospitals, emergency response systems, and patient care running daily.

In 2025, sterile surgical materials and diagnostic tools led imports at US$26.60 billion, followed by first-aid boxes and emergency kits at US$25.51 billion, while hormone-based pharmaceutical products reached US$5.87 billion, according to TradeInt data.

For businesses tracking supplier concentration, sourcing shifts, or country-level pharmaceutical trade flows, access TradeInt’s global trade intelligence platform to uncover verified shipment data, trading partner insights, and deeper pharmaceutical import/export market intelligence.

Frequently asked questions

How much of U.S. pharmaceuticals are imported?

The U.S. imported over US$200 billion in pharmaceutical products in 2025. Import reliance remains structurally high, particularly in generics and pharmaceutical ingredients, with the U.S. depending heavily on international manufacturing to support medicine supply, hospital procurement, and critical healthcare operations.

Where does the U.S. import pharmaceuticals from?

According to TradeInt data, India was the largest pharmaceutical supplier to the U.S. in 2025 at US$13.39 billion, followed by Germany (US$7.83 billion) and Belgium (US$5.14 billion). The U.S. also sources significant pharmaceutical volumes from China and South Korea, reflecting a globally distributed but specialized pharmaceutical sourcing network.

Does the U.S. import pharmaceuticals?

Yes. The U.S. is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical importers, relying on foreign suppliers for finished medicines, clinical pharmaceutical products, diagnostic materials, and upstream pharmaceutical components. TradeInt shipment data confirms substantial pharmaceutical import activity across multiple healthcare product categories throughout 2025.

What percentage of U.S. pharmaceuticals are imported?

Based on TradeInt’s 2025 data, the top five pharmaceutical import categories alone account for 87.87% of total tracked U.S. pharmaceutical import value, showing strong import concentration. More broadly, import dependency is especially high in generic medicines and pharmaceutical ingredients, where overseas manufacturing remains deeply embedded in the supply chain.

What pharmaceuticals does the U.S. import?

TradeInt’s 2025 shipment records show the U.S. primarily imports sterile surgical materials, first-aid kits, hormone-based pharmaceutical products, diagnostic reagents, and specialized pharmaceutical appliances. These categories reflect heavy demand not only for medicines, but also for hospital supplies, diagnostics, emergency preparedness, and specialized patient care infrastructure.

Other relevant articles about Import & Export in U.S.

1. U.S. Pharmaceutical Imports By Country 2025