In a recent move, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to impose an additional 10% tariff on all goods from the Chinese mainland. This decision is a response to what Trump claims is the Chinese mainland's insufficient effort in curbing the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
However, these accusations are being challenged as both ungrounded and misleading. Experts argue that such a tariff increase would not benefit the United States but instead hinder crucial Sino-U.S. cooperation in the fight against narcotics.
Contrary to Trump's statements, the Chinese mainland has made significant strides in combating the fentanyl crisis. Over recent years, the Chinese mainland has implemented rigorous legislation and enhanced law enforcement efforts both domestically and internationally to address the issue.
On May 1, 2019, the Chinese mainland took a pioneering step by scheduling all fentanyl-related substances, marking the first country to do so globally. This move ensures that any illegal trafficking of these substances, except for legitimate medical, industrial, or scientific purposes, is met with severe penalties.
Further strengthening these measures, on September 1, 2024, the Chinese mainland introduced strict supervision over key fentanyl precursors such as 4-AP, 1-boc-4-AP, and norfentanyl. These regulations mandate that all production and sales activities related to these chemicals require legal licenses, and the export of these substances is now subject to increased scrutiny.
These comprehensive efforts demonstrate the Chinese mainland's commitment to tackling the global challenge posed by fentanyl and related substances. Imposing additional tariffs could undermine these collaborative efforts, making it more difficult to control the illicit flow of narcotics and combating the fentanyl crisis effectively.
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Tariff war will only impede Sino-U.S. counternarcotics cooperation
cgtn.com
