China has announced new export controls on three precursor chemicals, restricting their shipment to Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The measure, revealed on Friday, comes just a week after a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Beijing.
The National Narcotics Control Commission also issued warnings about eight other chemicals that could be used in synthetic drug production, demanding strict compliance with laws from businesses involved in their trade. These steps mirror Beijing's anti-narcotics curbs from November, which followed a meeting between Trump and Xi in South Korea.
During that earlier meeting, the US agreed to reduce tariffs on China in exchange for Beijing's crackdown on illicit fentanyl. Washington has frequently accused Beijing of failing to control the flow of fentanyl precursors, leading Trump to impose related tariffs in early 2025, which were later struck down by the US Supreme Court in February. China has consistently dismissed these accusations, asserting that the opioid crisis is a US domestic problem.
Despite tensions, Chinese and US anti-narcotics authorities recently collaborated, arresting five suspects and seizing drugs this month in a joint investigation into a smuggling and trafficking case, according to state media. Meanwhile, during an event in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump referenced US efforts to maintain an edge over China in artificial intelligence technology, postponing a planned executive order on AI safety to avoid hindering US leadership.
