The American Association for Homecare is once again calling for the home medical equipment industry to submit comments as the U.S. Department of Commerce “has formally initiated a Section 232 national security investigation into imports of medical equipment, devices and consumables,” the association said in a Sept. 29 announcement.
“This sweeping review covers a wide range of products, including wheelchairs, hospital beds, portable oxygen concentrators, blood glucose monitors, IV bags, catheters and other durable medical equipment (DME) and supplies,” AAHomecare said. “The investigation could result in tariffs, quotas or other trade restrictions as early as 2026, with the stated goal of reducing reliance on devices manufactured outside of the U.S. and foreign supply chains. It is important for all manufacturers and distributors to submit comments opposing these potential actions.”
The deadline for comments is Friday, Oct. 17.
The Regulations.gov webpage — which is accepting public comments — said the investigation is focusing on three areas:
— Medical equipment: Defined “broadly” as durable equipment, tools and machines used in health care to support patient care,” the investigation website said. “Examples include but are not limited to carriages” — presumably, patient transfer equipment such as gurneys — “and wheelchairs; crutches; and hospital beds.”
— Medical consumables, defined as “single-use or short-term-use items for patient diagnosis, treatment and prevention of conditions.” Consumables include but are not limited to medical/surgical instruments; and medical/surgical supplies, including catheters, tracheostomy tubes, gauze/bandages, sutures, and IV bags.
— Medical devices, defined as any instrument, apparatus or machine used in the diagnosis, monitoring or treatment of medical conditions. Devices include pacemakers, insulin pumps, robotic and non-robotic prosthetics, blood glucose monitors, orthopedic appliances, ventilators, oxygen equipment, and MRI machines.
The Regulations.gov page said the Commerce department is “particularly interested in comments and information … as they affect national security, including the current and projected demand for PPE [personal protective equipment], medical consumables and medical equipment, including devices, in the United States; and the extent to which domestic production of PPE, medical consumables and medical equipment, including devices, can meet domestic demand.”
The Commerce department also questioned “the role of foreign supply chains, particularly of major exporters, in meeting United States demand for PPE, medical consumables and medical equipment, including devices; the concentration of U.S. imports … from a small number of suppliers or foreign nations and the associated risks.”
The department asked for information about “the impact of foreign government subsidies and predatory trade practices on the competitiveness of PPE, medical consumables, and medical equipment, including devices, manufacturers in the United States,” as well as “the ability of foreign persons to weaponize the capabilities or attributes of foreign-built PPE, medical consumables and medical equipment, including devices.”
“AAHomecare strongly supports exclusion of home medical equipment and supplies from any Section 232 trade actions, and urges all DME stakeholders — including manufacturers, distributors, and supply chain partners — to submit comments by Oct. 17, 2025,” the association said. “Engage your networks: Encourage downstream partners and patient groups to weigh in, underscoring the real-world consequences of restricting HME imports.”
AAHomecare added that HME “already faces Medicare reimbursement pressures and supply chain vulnerabilities” as the industry awaits the final rule that will redefine the Medicare competitive bidding program and potentially rewrite accreditation policies.
“Many HME products are not manufactured at scale in the U.S., making tariffs punitive rather than protective,” the association noted, urging providers to share “your own perspective on how tariffs or other trade restrictions will impact your business and the patients, clinicians and caregivers you support.”
AdvaMed, the Advanced Medical Technology Association that describes itself as the largest medical technology association representing device, diagnostics and digital technology companies, released a Sept. 25 statement measured in tone and framing the investigation in a more optimistic light.
“Our industry is a uniquely American manufacturing success story and leads the world in medical innovation, providing American hospitals, doctors’ offices, and patients the highest-quality medical technologies in the world,” said AdvaMed President/CEO Scott Whitaker in the announcement.
Whitaker added, “70% of the medtech that American hospitals and patients rely on are made in America across thousands of manufacturing facilities in all 50 states. Additionally, since 2019 medtech jobs have grown at three times the average manufacturing job rate, thanks in large part to sound tax policies, such as the OBBB [One Big Beautiful Bill], the TCJA [Tax Cuts and Jobs Act], and the medical device tax repeal. We look forward to continuing our work with the administration, including through the Commerce department’s investigation, to strengthen our already-robust and uniquely American industry.”
Ultimately, AdvaMed expressed hope that the investigation would support the industry.
“We believe this process will reinforce the fact that U.S. medtech manufacturing is strong, and lower tariffs will fuel more manufacturing and job growth in the U.S., which means greater access to lifesaving technologies and lower costs to American hospitals and patients,” the statement said.
Also on Sept. 25, Reuters reported that Philips (NYSE: PHG), based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is “actively engaged with policymakers in Washington” about the Section 232 investigation, “but does not expect an immediate impact from the probes.”
Reuters and other news outlets also reported U.S. medtech stocks — including GE Healthcare and ResMed — experienced declines since the Section 232 announcement.
