US President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to impose tariffs on China and Mexico unless they stem the flow of fentanyl and migrants across the US border could lead to deeper cooperation from those governments on drug policing, experts said.
The threat of tariffs carries a risk, particularly concerning US-China collaboration on fighting fentanyl, which has improved this year after bilateral negotiations between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Fentanyl, 50 times more potent than heroin, is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45.
Nearly 75,000 Americans died from synthetic drug overdoses in 2023, most from fentanyl. The vast majority of chemical precursors used to manufacture fentanyl originate in China, and Chinese money launderers are key players in the global drug trade.
While some experts welcomed Trump’s announcement as a necessary step to address the crisis, others warned that tariffs could backfire by impelling China to pull back on cooperation. A multi-pronged approach is needed to combat the epidemic, including increasing access to treatment options like methadone and buprenorphine, addressing root causes of addiction, and regulating precursors more strictly.
The White House has taken credit for recent declines in synthetic opioid deaths, citing seizures of fentanyl at the border, increased availability of overdose-reversal medication, and renewed law enforcement collaboration with China. However, critics argue that policies beyond tariffs are necessary to effectively combat the crisis.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-places-high-risk-high-reward-bet-tariffs-stem-fentanyl-2024-11-27