A once-forgotten military facility in Puerto Rico made headlines recently for supporting U.S. military operations in Venezuela. It’s a striking reminder that the U.S. territory—too often reduced to sandy beaches and piña coladas—serves strategic purposes far beyond being a tropical vacation destination.
The Island is also a hub of medical innovation and manufacturing. As the White House carries its “Made in America” medicine agenda into 2026, Puerto Rico is poised to play a central role.
Since returning to office, President Trump has made reshoring pharmaceutical manufacturing one of his priorities. Why? Because the United States has grown troublingly dependent on foreign supply chains for some medicines. Today, roughly nine in ten prescriptions filled in the U.S. are generic drugs—a majority of which rely on Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) from China.
APIs are the building blocks of modern medicine. Without them, antibiotics like amoxicillin or common pain relievers like ibuprofen simply cannot be made. For years, the U.S. has tolerated this dependence. But recent geopolitical conflicts have exposed the risks of relying on fragile supply chains to stock America’s medicine cabinets.
Chief among them is China’s willingness to weaponize key exports when policy disagreements arise. Last year, for example, Beijing blocked the U.S. from obtaining rare earth metals during a trade dispute. These minerals are the backbone of most modern-day technologies, including defense systems, cellphones, and automobiles. In a more recent case, China halted domestic soybean shipments—forcing Uncle Sam to step in and provide emergency support to farmers.
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The lesson is clear. When geopolitical tensions rise, supply chains break down. Americans should not have to wonder whether international disputes will disrupt access to critical medications.
To address this vulnerability, the White House has taken steps to bring medicine production home. Executive actions have directed the Food and Drug Administration to reduce regulatory friction for companies willing to manufacture on U.S. soil. Additional directives aim to strengthen the nation’s strategic stockpile of APIs, incentivizing domestic production to protect against future supply shocks.
Congress is also lending a hand. President Trump’s signature tax package, passed in July, will help to encourage pharmaceutical innovation across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. One provision, for instance, restored immediate expensing for research and development investments that will strengthen America’s ability to compete—and lead—at the forefront of global medicine.
While these initiatives provide the gas to power a new era of American pharmaceutical manufacturing, Puerto Rico is the engine.
Referred to as “America’s Medicine Cabinet,” Puerto Rico boasts the second largest pharmaceutical manufacturing output in the U.S., trailing only Indiana. The Island also produces and exports seven of the ten best-selling drugs thanks to decades of investment, technical expertise, and a highly-skilled workforce.
Combined with recent reforms under Puerto Rican Governor Jenniffer González-Colón to modernize permitting processes and expand workforce development, the Island is uniquely positioned to anchor America’s next chapter of domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The momentum is already building. In 2025 alone, pharmaceutical and medical technology companies committed more than $2 billion in investment to Puerto Rico. Amgen announced a $650 million facility expansion, while Eli Lilly pledged $1.2 billion toward new manufacturing capacity. As Puerto Rico’s Economic Development Secretary noted, these investments make the Island “the strongest biopharmaceutical hub in the United States.”
As the Trump administration accelerates its push to secure America’s pharmaceutical supply chain, policymakers need look no further than our own backyard. Puerto Rico’s proven manufacturing capabilities offer a ready-made foundation for a new era of “America First” medicine production.
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