U.S. Faces National Security Risk as China Dominates Drug Ingredient Supply

China accounts for nearly half of the world’s active pharmaceutical ingredient market and more than six-tenths of the raw materials essential to American antibiotic production, according to a Johns Hopkins study. The United States now manufactures only about three percent of these ingredients, a sharp decline from the 25 percent share it held in the early 1980s. Critics argue that this dependence creates a national-security threat, as the Chinese government could manipulate supply or safety of medicines during geopolitical tensions.

Legislative steps, including the BIOSECURE Act signed in December 2025 and executive tariff actions, target foreign-linked biotech purchases but do not create new factories. Proponents call for large-scale investment in U.S. drug-making facilities, citing Ohio’s success in attracting semiconductor production as a model for building a domestic pharmaceutical hub.