Report: Trump tariffs to focus on high-tech gear

The Trump administration is expected to publish an updated list of products manufactured in China that will be subject to 25% import tariffs, and the list is expected to focus on high-tech equipment, according to a June 14 report from Bloomberg.

The list has been expected since April, when the administration announced that it would levy the tariffs due to what it said were unfair trade practices followed by the Chinese government. The Office of the United States Trade Representative at that time published a list of 1,300 products that included medical imaging equipment such as CT, MRI, ultrasound, x-ray, and nuclear medicine systems.

The Bloomberg story stated that the tariffs will be implemented in stages, with duties being levied "within weeks." The updated list will focus on "technologies where China wants to establish itself as a leader" -- specifically, 10 industries identified in China's 2025 plan for economic growth.

Medicine and medical devices are one of those 10 industries, according to a 2015 report by McKinsey & Company. In addition to homegrown manufacturers, many multinational OEMs have moved their radiology equipment manufacturing to China in recent years to take advantage of lower labor costs.