Trade Wars and Health: 5 Hidden Ways Tariffs Hit

A “war” without bullets can still injure people

The video opens with a joke that a tariff war sounds like a “new kind of war without any injuries or casualties.” Then comes the pivot: a respectful disagreement.

This framing is the core of their message. Trade policy is not presented as a partisan debate, it is presented as a health systems stress test.

Instead of battlefield trauma, the “injuries” are more subtle: people skipping medications, clinics rationing supplies, delayed diagnoses, and diets shifting toward cheaper ultra-processed calories. The clinicians connect these downstream effects to something every health professional recognizes, worse health outcomes when access and timeliness break down.

A key point is uncertainty. The discussion repeatedly notes that geopolitics can change quickly, and the exact tariffs or timelines may shift. But the pathways are consistent: when the price of essentials rises and the flow of goods slows, health risks rise.

Did you know? Trade policy can reach healthcare through surprisingly specific channels, like tariffs on pharmaceutical ingredients and medical device parts, not only on finished products. A Harvard analysis describes how tariffs and retaliation can raise costs and complicate supply chains for the medical industry (Harvard Petrie-Flom CenterTrusted Source).

1) Higher drug prices, when ingredients cross borders

Medications are rarely “from one place.”

This perspective emphasizes that pharmaceuticals require ingredients from all over the world, and tariffs can be applied to those ingredients as they move through the manufacturing chain. If the input costs rise, the final medication price often rises too.

That matters because the health impact is not theoretical. The injury looks like a person with a short-term illness, like an infection, who cannot afford the prescribed medication for long enough to complete treatment. It also looks like someone with a chronic condition, such as diabetes or hypertension, who starts rationing pills or delaying refills.

The mechanism is straightforward: as out-of-pocket cost goes up, adherence tends to go down. People already facing financial insecurity can be forced into “impossible choices,” like paying for food and utilities versus medication.

What this can look like in real life

Important: If you are thinking about cutting pills, splitting tablets, or taking a medication less often to make it last longer, talk with a pharmacist or prescribing clinician first. Some medications cannot be safely split, and some dosing changes can be risky.

What the research shows: The medical industry can be affected by tariffs through higher costs of inputs, uncertainty for manufacturers, and pressure on supply chains and pricing, all of which can filter down to patients (Harvard Petrie-Flom CenterTrusted Source).

2) Medical supplies get pricier, and access can shrink

Gloves. Masks. Syringes. Basic items that most people never think about until they are missing.

The discussion highlights a lesson many communities learned during the pandemic: many countries are not fully self-sufficient in medical supplies. Even wealthy systems can depend heavily on imports.

When tariffs increase the cost of imported supplies, budgets get squeezed. Hospitals and public health units may have to spend more to buy the same volume of supplies, which can crowd out other needs. In settings where care is paid out of pocket or through for-profit models, increased costs can more directly show up as higher prices for visits and services.

In plain language, when the cost of delivering care rises, access can fall.

Why supply costs translate into health outcomes

A detailed way to think about it is as a chain reaction:

That final step is what the clinicians call the “casualties” of a trade war.

Pro Tip: If you use medical supplies at home (for example, glucose test strips, ostomy supplies, catheters, wound dressings), ask your clinician or supplier what to do if your usual brand becomes unavailable. A pre-planned substitute can prevent gaps.

3) Equipment costs rise, affecting diagnosis and treatment

Modern healthcare runs on equipment.

The video points out that technology is often built from parts that cross borders multiple times. In a tariff war, parts can be “slapped” with tariffs repeatedly as they move through stages of production.

That means medical equipment costs can rise. And when equipment is more expensive, replacing or repairing it can be delayed, especially for resource-constrained clinics, rural hospitals, or underfunded departments.

The health impact shows up in two major areas:

When diagnostic capacity drops, diseases can be detected later. When therapeutic capacity is constrained, treatment can be delayed.

Q: If equipment gets more expensive, does that really affect individual patients?

A: It can. If a clinic delays replacing an aging diagnostic device or a hospital has fewer functioning machines, wait times may increase and some tests may be postponed. Delays can matter most when symptoms need quick evaluation, or when chronic disease monitoring is time-sensitive.

Dr. Paul Salza, MD (as featured in the video)

4) Supply chain disruption, the pandemic déjà vu

This is the most visceral part of the conversation.

The clinicians connect trade-war disruption to a memory many people share: hospitals scrambling for essential items during the pandemic. They describe a scenario where hospitals were “begging for ventilators,” and the fear of reaching a point where a patient needs a ventilator and there simply is not one.

A trade war can disrupt supply chains in multiple ways: restricted goods, increased border friction, sudden price changes, and uncertainty that causes companies to hold inventory or reroute shipments. Even if a product exists somewhere, it may not arrive when it is needed.

In healthcare, timing is not a convenience. It is often the difference between early and late treatment.

Signs of disruption that can affect care

»MORE: Consider creating a one-page “health continuity sheet” for your household. Include current medications, doses, allergies, pharmacy contact, key diagnoses, and a list of acceptable substitutes you have discussed with your clinician.

5) Healthy food becomes harder to afford, or to find

The final point is not about hospitals. It is about kitchens.

As trade wars progress, the video argues, the cost of good whole food can rise. The reasoning is practical: farming depends on inputs that may cross borders, such as fertilizer (including potash), seeds, and machinery parts. In addition, many regions cannot grow fruits and vegetables year-round, and rely on imports from warmer climates.

When healthy food is pricier or less available, people do not stop eating. They often shift to what is cheapest and most shelf-stable.

This is where the clinicians connect trade policy to chronic disease. If a household can buy 3,000 calories of ultra-processed food for a few dollars, but cannot afford fresh produce, the “choice” is not really a choice. Over time, diets lower in fiber and micronutrients and higher in added sugars, sodium, and refined starches can worsen cardiometabolic risk.

A concrete example from the discussion is celiac disease. Gluten-free food can already be expensive and harder to find. Any disruption that raises prices or reduces availability can make a medically necessary diet harder to maintain.

A mostly-bullets section: practical ways to protect nutrition when prices rise

A trade war is not something most people can control. But the closing message is empowering: you can still take ownership of your health decisions within the reality you are living in.

Q: Should I stockpile medications or medical supplies because of tariffs?

A: It is usually safer to focus on continuity rather than hoarding. Ask your pharmacist what refill timing is allowed, whether 90-day supplies are appropriate for you, and what alternatives exist if your usual brand is unavailable. If you have complex conditions, coordinate any plan with your clinician so changes do not create safety issues.

Dr. Brad, MD (as featured in the video)

Key Takeaways