China’s Commerce Department has accused Washington of “changing responsibility and hiding responsibility” for the opioid crisis.
China warned the US to “measures” after President Donald Trump announced that he would impose new tariffs on Chinese products in response to fentanyl smuggling.
Trump on Thursday flagged the 10% obligation on China’s imports and announced that the 25% tariff he proposed would go ahead on Mexican and Canadian goods on March 4th.
Trump said the truth is socially said next month that, in addition to the 10% obligation imposed on Chinese products earlier this month, new tariffs will be imposed next month in response to the “very high unacceptable levels” of fentanyl entering the US.
Returning to Trump’s comments on Friday, the Chinese Commerce Department said China’s laws on drugs are the strictest in the world, with Washington saying “changes responsibility and hiding responsibility.”
“China urges the US not to repeat mistakes and return to the right path to resolve conflicts through dialogue as soon as possible,” a spokesperson for the province said in a statement.
“If the United States insists on moving forward with this series of actions, China will take all necessary measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests.
“We have repeatedly stated that unilateral tariffs violate the rules of the World Trade Organization and undermine the multilateral trading system,” the spokesman added.
Over 74,000 people died in the US in 2023 from synthetic opioid overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
According to the US Drug Enforcement Agency, China is the main source of so-called precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, which is trafficked by Mexican cartels.
Beijing said it had worked with the US to tackle fentanyl supply, including adding fentanyl-related substances to its list of controlled drugs and implementing “a wide range of practical cooperation in the field of drug control.”
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