Swiss pharmaceutical corporation Roche’s investment in the US will create 12 thousand jobs
The Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche has announced a substantial investment of €47 billion in the United States. The funds will be allocated over five years and will generate approximately 12,000 jobs.
Roche plans to build new R&D centres in four American states. The locations for the project will be California, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
Prerequisites
One of the reasons why Roche decided to expand its operations in the US was the new president’s policies. Donald Trump has repeatedly urged foreign companies to invest more in the local market. As part of this strategy, he introduced large-scale import duties, provoking increased uncertainty in global trade. These measures are intended to reduce the US trade deficit.
The pharmaceutical giant is closely associated with the US market. It operates 15 research and development centres and 13 manufacturing facilities in the country. Roche enterprises employ more than 250,000 people. Its key products are drugs for oncological diseases and Ocrevus, a multiple sclerosis treatment.
Notably, the new trade tariffs have put pressure on many global companies. Before the US refused to maximise duties, the tariff on Swiss products was as high as 31%. Meanwhile, goods from the EU were subject to a 20% tariff.
Following the introduction of the new tariff system in April 2025, there were significant fluctuations in the global stock market. Some time later, Trump had a telephone conversation with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter. The subject of the conversation was import duties. It is reasonable to conclude that the communication between the two heads of state was productive. A few hours later, Trump announced a pause in the introduction of tariffs for 60 countries.
Roche’s plans
For Roche, investing in the USA is a strategically important step in strengthening its market position. The company plans to realise a number of major projects, including:
1. The establishment of new R&D centres.
2. Construction of a plant in Pennsylvania to produce gene therapy products.
3. Launching a manufacturing facility for weight loss products.
The company is keen to get these new facilities up and running as soon as possible. This will enable it to significantly increase its product supply from the US. A key objective is to achieve a positive trade balance, which will be the case when exports of Roche products from the US exceed imports. Additionally, the investment will enable Roche to expand its operations in the US to 24 sites across eight states.
In 2024, Roche’s global sales totalled €64.3 billion. The US market accounted for €26.8 billion. Moreover, this figure only includes the main pharmaceutical divisions. Nevertheless, the corporation’s shares continue to fall. The decline began after the introduction of tariffs.
