Following Trump's tariff hikes, the government will invest US$2,4 billion in the SUS (Brazilian public healthcare system), prioritizing domestic manufacturers.
Public procurement for the Brazilian public health system (SUS) will prioritize Brazilian products, even at prices up to 20% higher than imported ones, in response to US tariffs.
247 - The federal government announced this Monday (4) an investment of R$ 2,4 billion in the purchase of more than 10 pieces of equipment aimed at basic care and surgeries in the Unified Health System (SUS). The measure is part of the PAC-Saúde and prioritizes the acquisition of products with national technology, applying preference margins of up to 20% on the prices of similar imported products.
According to the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC), the new tender authorizes the purchase of Brazilian equipment even if its prices are up to 10% higher for general-use items and up to 20% higher for highly complex products.
"President Lula's [Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva] government will continue to mobilize all instruments to defend the Brazilian economy, as is the case with public procurement, which plays an important role in strengthening the medical devices sector," said Vice President and Minister of MDIC, Geraldo Alckmin.
The Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, also highlighted the strategic impact of the measure. According to him, strengthening the national industry means guaranteeing greater sovereignty and security in the supply of the health sector.
The government initiative comes at a time of trade tension with the United States. Starting this Wednesday (6), Brazilian medical devices will be taxed at 50% by the government of US President Donald Trump. The surcharge was announced last week as part of a package of retaliatory measures to the legal proceedings faced by former President Jair Bolsonaro.
According to Paulo Henrique Fraccaro, CEO of the Brazilian Association of Medical Device Industries (Abimo), the measure directly affects the sector's exports. "Regardless, our industry has two options: bear the costs of the tariffs without passing them on to the end consumer (which is very difficult) or seek other markets to absorb the volume that will no longer enter US territory, which also presents challenges, mainly regulatory ones," stated Fraccaro.
The list of products covered by the government resolution includes items intended for both primary and specialized care. In primary care, the equipment aims to improve early diagnosis, prevention, and rehabilitation, using integrated digital technologies. In high-complexity services, equipment will be acquired for elective surgery and precision ophthalmological procedures.
Currently, Brazil is responsible for approximately 45% of the production of health supplies and technologies used in the country — including medicines, vaccines, equipment, and medical devices. The government's goal is to increase this figure to 50% by 2026 and reach 70% by 2033.
