Why do you accuse the US to contribute to fentanyl traffic?

By imposing strong duty supplementary to the products of Canada, Mexico and China, the US president Donald Trump He said he wants to force them to act to reduce fentanyl traffic, an opioid responsible for a serious health crisis in the United States.

China, whose products will have a 10%supplementary tariff, is accused of passivity against traffic of the components of Fentanyla drug that, according to US authorities, caused more than 70,000 deaths due to overdose in the United States.

– What is fentanil? –

Fentanyl is a synthetic opium 50 times more powerful than heroin and much easier and more cheap to produce. It is the main cause of death among Americans from 18 to 45 years.

Drug control administration (DEA) American states that China is “the main source of chemical substances linked to fentanyl introduced clandestinely in the United States.”

In 2019, China reinforced controls, which allowed to reduce direct traffic towards USA.

But, according to the American Congress Research Service, chemical components are sent to Mexico, where they are transformed into fentanyl and taken to the United States.

Fentanyl chemicals are mostly legal in China, where they are used as analgesics.

China affirms that there is no “illegal traffic of fentanyl” from its territory to Mexico and promises to strengthen controls.

– What measures did the United States take? –

The government of Joe Bidenpredecessor of Trump, strengthened the fight against fentanyl.

In October, the US government sanctioned dozens of entities and individuals based on China, accusing them of being the “source of supply” of US traffickers, sellers on the Internet and Mexican posters.

That group of entities, formed by companies located in Wuhan, in other places of China Continental and Hong Kong, is accused of having sent about 900 kg of fentanyl and chemical precursors to Mexico and the United States, seized by the authorities.

“Fentanyl world trade, which causes the death of Americans, usually begins in Chinese chemical factories,” said Merrick Garland, at its time attorney general in the United States.

– What agreements signed China and the US? –

In November 2023 in San Francisco, west of the United States, Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping They promised to reactivate discussions on the subject.

In mid -2024 China announced the increase in controls of three key chemical components of the fentanyl.

But experts consider that traffickers adapt rapidly, creating new variants of chemical substances.

China is not hard enough with the companies involved in this commerce, says Vanda Felbab-Brown, from the American Ideas Laboratory Brookings Institution.

“We are far from true imputations or solid prosecutions for money laundering or sending precursors to Mexican cartels,” affirms.

– Will the increase in tariffs be effective? –

Trump is determined to adopt a hard line against Chinabut there is no guarantees that the increase in tariffs have the desired effect. They could even be counterproductive.

“China expands its cooperation in the application of the law and fight against drug trafficking with the countries with which it maintains good relations,” says Felbab-Brown.

On the other hand, “with the countries with which it maintains bad relations or relations deteriorates reject any cooperation,” he adds.

There is also the problem of money laundering.

“International cartels increasingly resort to Chinese bands specialized in fast, cheap and safe money laundering services,” says researcher Zongyuan Zoe Liu in a report published in September by the American group Council on Foreign Relations.

“Obtaining Beijing’s support to stop the flow of illicit fentanyl and its chemical substances is a first crucial step to stop the offer” of traffic, the researcher underlines.