First, it was an island of penguins that made headlines thanks to Trump’s tit-for-tat tariffs. Now, the spotlight has shifted to an even more unlikely target in his trade war, Mauritian monkeys. According to a Bloomberg report, Trump’s new tariffs could make these long-tailed macaques 40% more expensive for US pharmaceutical companies that rely on them for clinical trials.
An Invasive Species
Mauritius, where these monkeys are considered an invasive species, is the primary supplier of these primates to the US. These monkeys even played a critical role in past COVID-19 vaccine trials.
Major Supplier Of Lab Primates
Mauritius accounted for 60% of the primates supplied to American pharmaceutical companies for research in 2023. The island nation shipped 13,484 monkeys in 2024. Mauritius’s Agro-Industry Minister Arvin Boolell told lawmakers in March that monkey exports brought in $86.6 million last year—up from just $20 million a decade ago.
Mauritius’ Concern: Low Price
The average price per monkey surged from $2,236 in 2014 to $6,425. Mauritius earns $200 per exported monkey, with the proceeds going toward conservation efforts. However, Boolell noted that the amount was relatively low and the government was planning to review it.
Trump Tariff Against Mauritius
Mauritius is one of the worst hit countries in the reciprocal tariffs slapped by the Trump administration. At 40 per cent tariff rate, the Southern African country is close to the top of the Trump tariff chart.
Trump’s tariffs are not only expected to hit the island nation’s monkey exports for pharmaceutical research; it’s also likely to have a major impact on other key exports to the United States, such as sugar and textile.
Trump’s Reciprocal Tariffs
US President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on April 2, slapping around sixty countries with extremely high tariff rate. While China has already retaliated to Trump’s move with an equal tariff, other nations are still figuring out the likely impact and what their response should be.
