Charted: U.S. Pharmaceutical Drug Imports from China

Niccolo Conte
2025-07-06 10:57:00
www.visualcapitalist.com

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

Charted: U.S. Pharmaceutical Drug Imports from China

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Key Takeaways

China supplies 95% of U.S. ibuprofen imports and 70% of acetaminophen imports
Roughly 90% of medicines prescribed in the U.S. are imported from other countries

The U.S. heavily depends on overseas suppliers for many of its essential medicines, and China plays a pivotal role in that supply chain.

This graphic breaks down the share of U.S. pharmaceutical imports from China for four common drugs, based on the latest available 2021 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Commerce, accessed via the Coalition for a Prosperous America.

China’s Role in the U.S. Pharma Supply Chain

Over the last two decades, China has become a dominant supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished drug products to the United States. In 2021, China was the leading supplier of U.S. pharmaceutical imports by weight, accounting for 23% of the total.

Here are some common pharmaceutical drugs for which the U.S. depends heavily on Chinese imports:

Drug	Description	Example	Share of U.S. Imports from China
Ibuprofen	Anti-inflammatory pain reliever	Advil, Motrin	95%
Hydrocortisone	Anti-itch steroid cream	Cortizone-10, some versions of Polysporin and Canesten	91%
Acetaminophen	Pain and fever reliever	Tylenol, Dayquil	70%
Penicillin	Antibiotic	Penicillin VK, Penicillin G	40-45%

China supplies 95% of U.S. imports of ibuprofen, which is used in over-the-counter drugs like Advil and Motrin. Similarly, 70% of U.S. acetaminophen (used in Tylenol and DayQuil) imports originate from China.

Furthermore, China accounts for 91% of U.S. hydrocortisone imports. Hydrocortisone is the medicinal preparation of the hormone cortisol, and is used to treat allergies and inflammation.

Penicillin, a widely-used antibiotic, is also primarily imported from Chinese manufacturers.

America’s Growing Pharma Import Dependency

Today, 90% of prescription drugs consumed in the U.S. are imported from other countries, making it the world’s largest pharmaceutical importer.

Since 2001, pharmaceutical imports have surged more than sixfold, and pharmaceutical goods now rank one of the most-imported goods into the United States.

This trend has raised concerns about supply chain security, particularly considering global disruptions like COVID-19, when sudden spikes in demand lead to shortages.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

For more insights, see Where Global Pharma Production is Concentrated on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

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