Swiss Pharma Giant Roche To Invest $50B in US Amid Tariff Threat

Swiss drugmaker Roche said it plans to invest $50 billion in the U.S., the latest in a string of large companies boosting their presence in the country since President Donald Trump came into office.

The company said it would invest the $50 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, creating more than 12,000 jobs. Roche said 1,000 of the jobs would be with the company, and the rest “in support of new US manufacturing capabilities.” It said it already employs more than 25,000 people in 24 sites across eight states in the U.S.

Other companies that have announced plans in recent months to increase their U.S. presence as Trump implements tariffs include Apple (AAPL), which said it would spend $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years, and chipmaking giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM), which is planning a $100 billion outlay in U.S.-based manufacturing facilities. The prospect of  pharma tariffs are also weighing on Roche and Novartis (NVS), which this month announced plans to invest $23 billion in the U.S.

Roche has been expanding in the weight-loss drug market, and its U.S. investments announced Tuesday include a 900,000 square foot plant to support next generation drugs for that field. It also announced plans to expand and upgrade its innovative medicines and diagnostics operations in Kentucky, Indiana, New Jersey, Oregon and California. It expects to build a new gene therapy center in Pennsylvania, a continuous glucose monitoring facility in Indiana, and a new research and development center in Massachusetts.

“Today’s announced investments underscore our long-standing commitment to research, development and manufacturing in the US,” CEO Thomas Schinecker said.