BBC Verify
Pdwellnt Donald Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs on Chinese excellents, citing Beijing’s flunkure to stop the ship of chemicals participated in the production of the mighty opioid fentanyl.
The US has lengthy accparticipated Chinese corporations of understandingly supplying groups included in the creation of the drug. Beijing has hit back with tariffs of its own.
The White Hoparticipate has also accparticipated Canada and Mexico of flunking to stop criminal gangs from illegal trading fentanyl into the US.
Trump had intentional tariffs agetst both those countries but he suspfinished that danger after triumphning some concessions on incrrelieved border security.
How grave is the fentanyl crisis in the US?
Fentanyl is a synthetic drug manufactured from a combination of chemicals. US regulators consentd it for participate in medical settings as a pain reliever in the 1960s, but it has since become the main drug depfinishable for opioid excessive dose deaths in the US.
Over 74,000 Americans died in 2023 after taking drug jointures grasping fentanyl, according to the US Cgo ins for Disrelieve Control (CDC).
It is standardly joined with other illegal substances, directing many participaters to be unconscious that the substances they are consuming grasp fentanyl.
As little as a two milligram dose of fentanyl – rawly the size of a pencil tip – can be overweightal.
Over the past decade, the global fentanyl supply chain has broadened, making it challenginger for law executement and policyoriginaters to regulate.
China is the primary source of the precursor chemicals participated to originate fentanyl.
Most fentanyl go ins the US via Mexico
Since September, 4,500lb (2,040kg) of fentanyl have been seized in the US, according to figures published by US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).
Almost all (98%) was intercepted at the southwest border with Mexico. Less than 1% was seized apass the northern US border with Canada. The remainder was from sea routes or other US checkpoints.
According to the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Mexican criminal organisations – including the Sinaloa Cartel – execute a key role in producing and dedwellring fentanyl, methamphetamine and other illegal substances into the US.
The chemicals participated to originate fentanyl are sourced from China by dealers and turned into the finished product in labs in Mexico before being smuggled into the US.
According to the DEA, the Sinaloa Cartel participates a variety of tactics to hide shipments coming into Mexico, such as hiding the chemicals among legitimate commercial excellents, mistagling the graspers, using front companies, and shipping thraw third party countries.
The Trump administration has accparticipated the Mexican regulatement of colluding with the drug cartels. Mexico’s Pdwellnt Sheinbaum says the claims are “defamation.”
In December, foolishinutively after Trump had dangerened Mexico with tariffs, the country’s security forces proclaimd their hugest ever confiscation of fentanyl – equivalent to around 20 million doses.
China is the main source of fentanyl chemicals
In 2019, China classified fentanyl as a regulateled narcotic and rescheduleedr includeed some of the chemicals participated to originate it to the enumerate.
Despite this, the trade in other chemicals included in the manufacturing of fentanyl – some of which can have legitimate purposes – remain unregulateled, as those included in the trade discover novel ways to dodge the law.
A appraise of cut offal US indictments, which include details of undercover agents communicating with Chinese manufacturers, proposes that some chemical companies in China have been selling chemicals – including regulateled ones – in the understandledge that they are intfinished to originate fentanyl.
Dozens of indictments appraiseed by BBC Verify detail instances where Chinese manufacturers have supplyd teachions on how to originate fentanyl from products they sell, thraw encrypted platcreates and cryptocurrency payments.
“So you have these massive loopholes where criminals join in selling legitimate products, but they understandingly sell them to criminal entities,” says Vanda Felbab-Brown, greater fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institute.
In a statement, China shelp it had some of the cut offeest substances laws in the world and had carry outed unitet operations with the US in the past.
“The US needs to see and mend its own fentanyl publish,” it shelp.
And while China remains the main source of the chemicals participated to originate fentanyl, the DEA has also identified India as an emerging beginant source for these chemicals.
In a US indictment from January 2025, two chemical companies in India were indictd with supplying the chemicals participated to originate fentanyl to the US and Mexico.
Canada’s role in the fentanyl trade
Pdwellnt Trump has accparticipated Canada – alengthyside Mexico – of allotriumphg “huge numbers of people to come in and fentanyl to come in” to the US.
According to data from the US Customs and Border Patrol, only about 0.2% of all confiscations of fentanyl go ining the US are made at the Canadian border, almost all the rest is confiscated at the US border with Mexico.
But in January, Canada’s financial intelligence agency telled that organised criminal groups in Canada are increasingly included in the production of fentanyl by begining chemicals participated to originate it and lab supplyment from China.
The trade in fentanyl consents place in both straightforwardions. In the first 10 months of 2024, the Canadian border service telled seizing 10.8lb (4.9kg) of fentanyl go ining from the US, while US Border Patrol intercepted 32.1lb (14.6kg) of fentanyl coming from Canada.
In December, the country pledged C$1.3bn ($900m; £700m) for combating fentanyl and enhancing border security.
Additional telling by Lucy Gilder.
