The American president-designate, Donald Trump, threatens to drastically increase customs duties on Chinese imports, in the face of Beijing’s supposed passivity towards opioid trafficking responsible for a serious health crisis in the States -United.
The Republican tycoon accuses China of not doing enough to prevent the trafficking of fentanyl, a drug that has caused more than 70,000 overdose deaths in 2023, according to American authorities. Beijing says it is very proactive in the fight against this phenomenon. AFP takes stock of the situation.
What is fentanyl, and where does it come from?
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin and much easier and cheaper to produce.
It is the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 45.
The DEA, the US drug enforcement agency, says that China is “the main source of fentanyl-related precursor chemicals smuggled into the United States”.
Beijing strengthened controls in 2019, which helped reduce direct traffic to the United States.
But, according to the US Congressional Research Service, the precursor chemicals are now being sent to Mexico, where they are processed into fentanyl before being smuggled into the United States.
These compounds are often legal in China, where they are used in the medical community as painkillers, complicating legal proceedings.
China affirms that there is “no illegal trafficking of fentanyl” between its territory and Mexico, but promises to strengthen controls and recalls that it is “one of the toughest countries in the world” against narcotics .
What is the United States’ reaction?
The Biden government has made the fight against fentanyl one of its priorities.
In October, the government sanctioned dozens of China-based entities and individuals accused of being “the source of supply” for U.S. traffickers, dark web sellers and Mexican cartels. The group, made up of companies located in Wuhan, elsewhere in mainland China, as well as Hong Kong, is accused of sending a total of 900 kg of chemical precursors to Mexico and the United States, which were seized by authorities.
“The global trafficking of fentanyl, which results in the deaths of Americans, often begins in Chinese chemical plants,” said Merrick Garland, the US Justice Secretary.
Beijing called the sanctions a campaign of unjustified “pressure”.
What agreements have the two countries concluded?
Discussions on the fight against drugs have taken a hit due to Sino-American tensions.
But during a summit in November 2023 in San Francisco, the American presidents, Joe Biden, and Chinese presidents, Xi Jinping, promised to relaunch discussions.
A working group on drug trafficking met in Washington this summer. China has announced tougher controls on three key fentanyl precursors.
But experts say traffickers are adapting quickly by creating new variants of chemicals before they are even identified and regulated.
Beijing is not being tough enough on companies involved in this trade, says Vanda Felbab-Brown, a specialist in organized crime at the American think tank Brookings Institution.
“We are still far from real indictments or solid prosecutions for money laundering or for sending precursors to Mexican cartels,” she said in a recent podcast.
Will customs duties be effective?
Donald Trump appears determined to take a hard line against China. But there is no guarantee that its tariffs will have the desired effect.
In response, China’s Foreign Ministry said the country “remains willing to continue anti-drug cooperation with the United States.”
But Beijing also called on Washington “not to take China’s goodwill for granted.”
Complex money laundering networks compound the problem. Several experts emphasize that only closer coordination efforts between the United States and China can remedy this.
“International cartels are increasingly turning to Chinese gangs specializing in fast, inexpensive and secure laundering services,” says Zongyuan researcher Zoe Liu in a report published in September by the American research group Council on Foreign Relations. .
