Finance
Trump Meets Novartis Ceo, Says Drugmaker Building 11 US Plants
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 20, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 3, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleTags:Manufacturing
Quick Summary
At a Rome, Georgia event, Trump said after meeting Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan that the drugmaker is building 11 U.S. plants, crediting tariffs. Novartis cited NC and CA groundbreakings and plans for radioligand manufacturing in Florida.
Trump Meets Novartis Chief, Says Drugmaker Plans 11 U.S. Plants
Novartis U.S. Expansion and Tariff Context
ROME, Georgia, Feb 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said he met Vas Narasimhan, the chief executive officer of Swiss drugmaker Novartis, at the White House on Wednesday.
White House Meeting and Claims
Trump, addressing workers at a steel plant in Rome, Georgia on Thursday, said Narasimhan told him during the meeting that his company was building 11 U.S. plants as a result of the president's tariff policies.
North Carolina and California Projects
Company Statement on Facilities
"We appreciate the opportunity to update the U.S. government on our progress, including recent groundbreakings for manufacturing and research facilities in North Carolina and California and plans to expand our radioligand therapy manufacturing network with a new site in Florida," a spokesperson for Novartis told Reuters in an emailed statement.
Details Pending on Facility Count
The statement did not add any details on the number of facilities planned in the U.S.
Prior U.S. Investment Plans
Last year, the Swiss drugmaker said it planned to spend $23 billion to build and expand 10 facilities in the U.S. after the Trump administration threatened to impose drug import duties.
Reporting and Editing Credits
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Sneha SK, Additional reporting by Abu Sultan in Bengaluru; Writing by Andrea Shalal, Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Kate Mayberry)
Key Takeaways
- •Trump met Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan at the White House.
- •Trump claimed Novartis is building 11 U.S. plants linked to tariff policies.
- •Novartis cited recent groundbreakings in North Carolina and California.
- •The company plans to expand its radioligand therapy manufacturing in Florida.
- •Novartis previously outlined a $23B plan to build/expand 10 U.S. facilities.
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Trump meets Novartis CEO, says drugmaker building 11 US plants
1What is the main topic?
Trump said after meeting Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan that the company is building 11 U.S. plants, linking the move to his tariff policies. Novartis highlighted recent and planned U.S. facilities.
2Which U.S. facilities did Novartis mention?
A spokesperson cited recent groundbreakings in North Carolina and California and plans to expand its radioligand therapy manufacturing network with a site in Florida.
3Did Novartis confirm building 11 plants?
No. While Trump cited 11 plants, Novartis did not specify a total number in its statement. Previously, it outlined $23B to build and expand 10 U.S. facilities.
