Trump Targets China and Cartels With 20% Tariff Amid U.S. Fentanyl Crisis

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Updated Mar 12, 2025, 07:29 PM

President Donald Trump has announced a series of tariffs on Chinese imports, citing China's role in the illegal fentanyl trade as a justification. In February, Trump imposed an initial 10% tariff on Chinese goods, followed by an additional 10% increase weeks later, bringing the total tariff rate to 20%. China has strongly rejected the accusations, stating that it has implemented strict controls on fentanyl production and export, and has never exported fentanyl-like drugs to North America. Chinese officials claim the U.S. is using the fentanyl issue as a pretext for economic pressure and have accused Washington of undermining bilateral anti-narcotics cooperation. The fentanyl crisis, which has caused widespread fatalities in the U.S., remains a key policy focus for Trump. The administration has linked the crisis to Chinese-supplied precursor chemicals used by Mexican cartels to manufacture the synthetic opioid. Trump has vowed to combat the crisis by targeting both the supply chains and the cartels involved. The crisis has led to 87,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. from October 2023 to September 2024, though fatalities have declined partly due to the increased availability of Naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid overdoses. Meanwhile, Mexican cartels play a significant role in trafficking fentanyl into the U.S. China has called for the U.S. to resume dialogue and cooperation on fentanyl control, arguing that the tariffs harm bilateral relations and are counterproductive. Beijing has also highlighted its domestic efforts to regulate fentanyl-related substances and prevent their diversion into illegal channels.

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Sources

bloomberg.com(2)reuters.com chinapower.csis.org bloomberglinea.com

ChinaPower

@ChinaPowerCSIS

China says US has undermined fentanyl cooperation by imposing tariffs - Reuters https://t.co/qE6ABNAkgX What role does China play in the U.S. fentanyl crisis ? @VFelbabBrown joins the #ChinaPower Podcast to discuss this and more: https://t.co/Vesy7x5K9g

Bloomberg Línea

@BloombergLinea_

China claims to have cracked down on the fentanyl trade and rejects the tariffs imposed by the President of the United States. https://t.co/J63ybaIrBA

BBC News (World)