Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The Lastest on Tariffs and Canadian Pharmaceuticals
The team at CPPI is paying close attention to the developments related to tariffs and “de minimis” exemptions on products from Canada sold in the U.S., which include pharmaceuticals for personal use. Following are details to keep you informed:
Q: What are tariffs?
A: Tariffs are a tax on goods and services imported from one country to another. They are frequently used in international trade by governments to raise revenue, exert political pressure, or protect their competitive advantages. They are typically passed on to the consumer.
Q: What does the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down tariffs mean for personal pharmaceutical importation?
A: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Feb. 20, 2026, that the President did not have the authority to impose tariffs on imported products – which included pharmaceuticals – using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) law that he imposed them under. At the time of that ruling, the tariff on personal pharmaceuticals imported from Canada was 35%.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, the president introduced 10% tariffs on products imported to the U.S. (under section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2132) for 150 days starting Feb. 24, 2026, and said he is looking at other ways to impose import tariffs. We expect additional details soon, however options could include setting new tariffs. However, pharmaceuticals are listed explicitly as exempt from the 10% tariffs in this act, leading to confusion in the marketplace and with tariff collection organizations. See section 14f in the executive order.
We don’t yet know what the rates will be, or how long they’ll be in effect, however at the moment, tariffs are 25% below their previous rate on imported Canadian pharmaceuticals.
Q: If you paid a tariff when you purchased personal use pharmaceuticals from Canada, will that be refunded?
A: The Supreme Court did not specifically rule on this matter. We expect this question to take significant time to work its way through the court system. Therefore, we are awaiting direction from the appellate court on what – if any next steps – will occur on refunds. When a decision is made, we’ll inform you.
Q: What is a “de minimis” duty exemption and how might that affect imported pharmaceuticals?
A: The federal government had a long-standing policy of not charging duties – called the de minimis exemption – on most imported products valued at under $800. The term “de minimis” is Latin, and translates to “with trifles,” essentially meaning being unconcerned with little things. The president signed an executive order declaring the removal of this de minimis exemption for ALL imported products starting Aug. 29, 2025.
Removal of the minimis exemption did affect personal pharmaceutical orders by allowing tariffs to be charged on all orders, but the Supreme Court decision focused on tariffs altogether, rather than adjusting the dollar value on products for tariffs to be imposed. It is still to be determined if anything will change with de minimis limits.
Q: Will the tariff decision affect your ability to fill your prescriptions with licensed online Canadian pharmacies?
A: No. What hasn’t changed: Canada remains a safe, trustworthy partner to fill your pharmaceutical needs. The good news is that the same safe and familiar ordering systems, shipping, and billing methods that millions of consumers have used over the past 20 years to buy their prescriptions from Canada are still in place. Regardless of the outcome of taxation policies, Canada’s licensed, regulated online pharmacies will remain a strong option for buying your medicines.
Q: Will Canadian prescription drugs have new tariffs placed on them?
A: Tariffs are likely to change – currently reduced from the previous 35% rate from Canada. We’ll continue to monitor this and inform our members when there is a new direction on tariffs.
Q: What are the next steps on the tariffs situation?
A: We’ll be monitoring what reaction the president takes, likely future court challenges, and revised tariff rates. CPPI anticipates your important, needed prescriptions are very likely to be less costly than U.S. prices – even with added tariffs – if ordered from licensed Canadian pharmacies. Consumers should check with their Canadian pharmacy if there are cost-saving alternatives. You can find a list of licensed Canadian pharmacies here.
CPPI continues to monitor the situation, and will inform you when there are concrete plans in place.
Related Websites
Canadian International Pharmacy Association
Formed in 2002, CIPA has spent more than 20 years working with regulators, pharmacists, physicians, patients, members of government and consumer special interest groups to continually enhance the standards by which mail-order pharmacy websites operate to protect patient safety, as well as patient savings. CIPA believes that every person around the world has the basic human right to affordable medications to protect their health, happiness, and well-being. This is what CIPA safeguards every day.
Fair Access Medicines’ mission is to identify, develop, and deliver life-saving medicines to poorly-served patients in the US and worldwide at the lowest cost possible.
People of Faith for Access to Medicines
People of Faith for Access to Medicines inspires, organizes, and nurtures a faith-based movement to make access to essential medicines a moral imperative and a fully-realized human right. PFAM builds on the foundation established by faith-based organizations playing a central role in U.S. health care, culture, and politics, the strengths of the existing access to medicines movement, and the historic legacy of faith communities making essential contributions to social movements.
Patients Beyond Borders’ mission is to help connect patients locate the highest-quality, most affordable care, and to provide information and advice that helps give confidence to make the best choice among many options. Over the past twelve years, Patients Beyond Borders has partnered with governments, industry leaders, providers and consulting groups to expand various initiatives within a complex international healthcare community.
Prescription Justice, a 501(c)4 non-profit organization, brings together doctors, lawyers, public health advocates, and companies dedicated to lowering drug prices in the United States. They advocate on behalf of the millions of Americans who access affordable imported medications and stand against actions by the pharmaceutical industry that mislead and misinform the public.
Additional Resources
Kaiser Family Foundation Survey - one in five adults (21%) have not filled a prescription due to cost and one in seven adults say they have cut pills in half or skipped doses of medicine in the last year because of the cost.
Brussels Principles – Principles related to the sale of medicine ordered for personal use on the Internet
Rx Drug Price Study - AARP survey shows three-quarters of brand-name prescription drugs have increased in price since 2024.
Big Pharma – Market Failure – Video exploring the problem of extreme drug costs in the U.S. and how drug prices impact the public, businesses and the overall U.S. economy.
The Big Toll from Medication Non-Adherence - Study by Duke Health finding that U.S. adults not taking medication as prescribed has a direct cost of approximately $100 billion-$300 billion annually and is associated with 125,000 deaths and at least 10% of hospitalizations per year.