Pharmaceuticals from Germany: 15% US Tariff (2026)

Importing pharmaceuticals from Germany into the US in 2026 means navigating multiple tariff layers. The current total effective rate runs approximately 15% on most pharmaceuticals imports under HTS chapters 30. The pre-SCOTUS IEEPA reciprocal rate on Germany was 20% — meaning importers who paid duties between April 2025 and February 2026 are owed an IEEPA refund of roughly 5% of declared value, plus ~5% statutory interest.

The current rate on pharmaceuticals from Germany is governed by the 15% EU-US deal ceiling (effective July 1, 2026) — an all-inclusive rate, so goods with an MFN duty of 15% or higher pay only MFN, and it is not affected by the July 24 Section 122 sunset.

For most importers, the 15% total represents a meaningful change from the pre-SCOTUS regime, when the IEEPA reciprocal layer pushed Germany pharmaceuticals imports to 20% effective. SCOTUS struck down the IEEPA reciprocal layer on February 20, 2026 in Learning Resources v. Trump, opening a refund pool of approximately $166 billion for affected importers.

If you imported pharmaceuticals from Germany between April 2025 and February 2026, the IEEPA refund window is still open through Phase 1 of CBP's CAPE portal — for entries that are unliquidated or within 80 days of liquidation. Phase 2 will cover older entries, reconciliation, and drawback claims when it launches later in 2026.

Bottom line for pharmaceuticals importers from Germany: confirm your HTS classification, account for the 15% EU-US deal ceiling (and Section 232/301 if applicable), and — if you paid IEEPA duties in 2025 — check your refund eligibility before the Phase 1 windows close on a rolling basis through Q3 2026.