Trump takes action to re-shore production of essential medicines

US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an Executive Order to increase American production of essential medical supplies and cut down the nation’s reliance on foreign producers of medicines.

Peter Navarro, director of the White House's Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, said on a press call Thursday that the COVID-19 pandemic had made clear the need for the executive order, another in a long line of "Buy American" and "Hire American” directives introduced during the Trump administration.

Under the order, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs is directed to create a list of medicines, medical countermeasures, and critical inputs that are essential for public health in America.