Researchers at Newcastle University and the University of Cambridge have found that trade tariffs imposed by the United States could be harmful to public health through higher medicine costs, and volatile food prices; as well as creating indirect risks such as unemployment and economic uncertainty.
While the US could reap some benefits if domestic jobs are protected and demand for imports harmful to public health are reduced, the evidence currently suggests that short term harms are a risk both inside and outside of the US.
The UK is currently affected by the international tariffs imposed by President Trump in 2025, however deals between the UK and US saw the UK exempt from many of these such as steel and aluminium, and aerospace and cars.
The UK is however still affected by an additional 10% tariff imposed onto most UK goods imported into the US, on top of the existing duties, fees and taxes in place.
The research comes from Dr Courtney McNamara of Newcastle University and Dr Benjamin Hawkins at the University of Cambridge.
Dr McNamara said that “trade policy can sound distant and technical, but it shapes everyday life – the price and availability of medicines, what food costs in the supermarket, and whether people feel secure in their jobs.”
She said that research such as this one would help highlight the hidden links between the tariffs and health, “so decisions about tariffs and trade are judged not just by economic outcomes, but by what they mean for people’s daily lives and, ultimately, their health.”
The research argues that health representatives should be involved with trade policymaking in order to protect public health and balance against the motivations of commercial powers.