Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid drug used to treat severe pain, but its spillover into the illegal drugs trade has caused serious social problems for the U.S., resulting in tens of thousands of deaths each year in the past decade.
China is the main source of chemical precursors used by Mexican cartels and Canadian drug labs to produce fentanyl, and Chinese money launderers have become key players in the international drug trade.
U.S. President Donald Trump, on February 1, announced a 25% tariff on all imports from Mexico and Canada, and 10% on all Chinese-made goods, blaming the three countries for “not doing enough to stop the flow of fentanyl into U.S. markets.”
The tariffs on Mexico and Canada were put on hold for 30 days, but those on China took effect on February 4, as scheduled. China called fentanyl “America’s problem” and hit back with a series of retaliatory measures.
