Blog
AHPA publishes second herbal advocacy leave-behind, urges support for specialized manufacturing equipment
June 26, 2025
Building on its ongoing advocacy for the herbal industry, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has published a second Congressional leave-behind – this time focused on securing targeted tariff relief for critical manufacturing equipment unavailable from U.S. sources.
In many cases, specialized equipment needed to harvest, extract, encapsulate, and package herbs grown and used in dietary supplements and natural products in the United States must be imported, as the machinery is not commercially manufactured domestically. Excessive tariffs on this essential equipment are now threatening to slow investment in U.S.-based production facilities, delay innovation, and even encourage offshoring – directly undermining national efforts to expand American manufacturing.
“American herbal product companies are ready and eager to expand domestic manufacturing, but burdensome tariffs on the specialized tools they need are standing in the way,” said AHPA President & CEO Graham Rigby. “These are not loopholes. We're asking for common-sense tariff relief that allows U.S. companies to build here, hire here, and compete globally.”
AHPA continues to actively engage with policymakers in Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of how current trade policies impact the domestic production capacity of the herbal and natural products sector. The new leave-behind is intended to support these efforts by equipping Congressional offices with a clear explanation of why narrowly tailored tariff relief is critical to strengthening American industry. AHPA invites members and industry stakeholders to utilize the leave-behind in their own advocacy efforts as well.
This latest resource builds on AHPA's broader tariff advocacy, including its first herbal advocacy leave-behind focused on protecting access to essential herbs that cannot be grown domestically at the commercial scale necessary to meet consumer and industry demand. Both documents are part of AHPA's Tariff Toolkit, a collection of resources designed to help herbal and dietary supplement companies stay informed and compliant as they navigate the evolving landscape of international trade and tariffs.
