WASHINGTON, D.C.: This week, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to speed up the approval of drug manufacturing plants in the United States.

The goal is to encourage more pharmaceutical production within the country.

The order instructs the Food and Drug Administration to expedite the approval process and assist U.S. companies early in the process. It also requests that the FDA improve its tracking of foreign drug ingredients and consider publishing a list of factories that don't comply with regulations.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency will begin conducting surprise inspections of drug manufacturing plants overseas to make safety checks more similar to those performed in the U.S.

The order also instructs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to expedite the construction of new pharmaceutical plants.

These steps are part of Mr. Trump's plan to bring drug manufacturing back to the United States. He has recently warned that he might impose tariffs on imported medicines, which have typically been exempt from trade disputes due to health concerns.

Experts say it can take at least five years to build a new drug factory. The White House called this delay a national security risk.

"We will bring our medical supply chains back home and make our medicines and treatments here in America," Trump said.

The Washington Post was the first to report the news.

Last month, the Trump administration initiated investigations into imported drugs and computer chips, stating that the country relies too heavily on foreign production in these areas. Tariffs may be forthcoming, although no specific details have been shared at this time.

If tariffs are imposed, it could be a significant blow to the industry, as the U.S. imports over US$200 billion in prescription drugs.

However, major pharmaceutical companies such as Roche, Novartis, Eli Lilly, and Johnson & Johnson have recently announced significant investments in U.S. manufacturing.