DUESSELDORF, March 28 (Reuters) - German airline

Lufthansa's air freight business said on Friday it is

experiencing an increase in demand for pharmaceutical shipments

to the United States as drugmakers speed up shipments ahead of

potential import tariff increases.

"Some large pharmaceutical companies with production sites

in Europe are increasing their production and accelerating

shipments to the USA, primarily due to the potential tariff

increases for pharmaceutical products from the EU," Lufthansa

Cargo said in a statement.

Earlier this week executives and logistics firms told

Reuters that some drugmakers are taking the unusual step of

sending more medicines by air to the U.S.