US Starts Investigation into German Pharmaceutical Pricing
美國啟動對德國藥品定價的調查
Introduction
The United States has started a formal investigation into Germany's payment policies for new medicines to see if these practices are hurting American trade.
美國已啟動正式調查德國對新藥的付款政策，以確定這些做法是否損害美國貿易。
Main Body
The investigation is being carried out under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Jamieson Greer, who leads the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), emphasized that Germany's pricing methods create an unfair burden on US trade. This action follows several discussions between the two countries that failed to solve the problem. The USTR asserted that because Germany pays too little for innovative drugs, US patients end up paying a larger share of the global costs for research and development (R&D).
此次調查是根據 1974 年《貿易法》第 301 條進行。美國貿易代表署 (USTR) 的負責人 Jamieson Greer 強調，德國的定價方法對美國貿易造成了不公平的負擔。在兩國經過多次討論仍無法解決問題後，美方採取了此行動。USTR 主張，由於德國對創新藥物支付的金額過低，導致美國患者最終分擔了較高比例的全球研發 (R&D) 成本。
At the same time, the German government is trying to pass new laws to lower healthcare costs. A draft law approved in April aims to save about €16 billion by increasing discounts from drug companies. However, these changes have already caused a drop in foreign investment. For example, Eli Lilly announced it would reduce its planned €2.3 billion investment in Alzey by 50%. While there are reports that Germany might change its plans for these discounts, the Health Ministry has refused to comment on the current discussions in parliament.
與此同時，德國政府正試圖通過新法律以降低醫療成本。4 月通過的一項法律草案旨在透過增加藥廠的折扣，節省約 160 億歐元。然而，這些變動已導致外國投資下降。例如，禮來公司 (Eli Lilly) 宣布將其原定在 Alzey 投資 23 億歐元的計劃削減 50%。雖然有報導指出德國可能會調整這些折扣計劃，但衛生部拒絕就目前議會中的討論發表評論。
From a strategic point of view, the Trump administration has used Section 301 investigations as a way to introduce long-term tariffs. The USTR stated that the current process will include a period for public written comments starting on June 25, followed by a formal hearing in September. This move is part of a wider US policy to link domestic drug prices to lower prices found in other countries.
從戰略角度來看，川普政府一直將 301 條調查作為引入長期關稅的手段。USTR 表示，目前的程序將包括自 6 月 25 日起公佈的書面評論期，隨後於 9 月舉行正式聽證會。此舉是美國更廣泛政策的一部分，旨在將美國國內藥價與其他國家較低的價格掛鉤。
Conclusion
The US is currently reviewing German drug pricing through a formal probe, while Germany continues to debate how to reduce its healthcare spending.
美國目前正透過正式調查審視德國的藥品定價，而德國則繼續辯論如何降低其醫療支出。
Vocabulary Learning
⚡ The 'Power Shift': Moving from Basic to B2 Verbs
At the A2 level, you likely use words like say, start, do, or try. To reach B2, you need Precise Verbs. These are words that don't just tell us what happened, but how and why it happened.
Look at this transformation from the text:
| A2 Basic | B2 Professional | Context from Article |
|---|---|---|
| Said | Asserted | The USTR asserted that Germany pays too little... |
| Started | Carried out | The investigation is being carried out under Section 301... |
| Try to do | Aim to | A draft law... aims to save about €16 billion. |
| Talk about | Emphasized | Jamieson Greer emphasized that Germany's pricing... |
🛠️ Linguistic Breakdown: Why this matters
- Asserted vs. Said: If you say something, it's just information. If you assert something, you are stating it strongly and confidently. B2 speakers use this to show a position of power.
- Carried out: This is a phrasal verb used in formal contexts. Instead of saying "they did the study," using carried out makes you sound like a professional analyst.
- Aim to: Instead of "trying to," aiming to suggests a strategic goal. It is the language of business and government.
💡 The B2 Strategy: "The Precision Swap"
Next time you write a sentence, stop using 'do' or 'say'. Ask yourself: Is this person being confident? (Assert). Is this a formal process? (Carry out). Is there a specific goal? (Aim).
Example Upgrade:
- A2: The manager said that the plan is bad.
- B2: The manager emphasized that the plan is ineffective.