The White House has also accused Canada and Mexico of failing to prevent criminal gangs from smuggling fentanyl into the US.
Most fentanyl enters 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).
China is the main source of fentanyl chemicals In 2019, China classified fentanyl as a controlled narcotic and later added some of the chemicals used to make it to the list.
Canada’s role in the fentanyl trade President Trump has accused Canada – alongside Mexico – of allowing “vast numbers of people to come in and fentanyl to come in” to the US.
In the first 10 months of 2024, the Canadian border service reported seizing 10.8lb (4.9kg) of fentanyl entering from the US, while US Border Patrol intercepted 32.1lb (14.6kg) of fentanyl coming from Canada.
Yi Ma and Kayleen Devlin.
The BBC Verifies.
Citing Beijing’s inability to halt the export of chemicals used in the manufacture of the potent opioid fentanyl, President Donald Trump has imposed broad tariffs on Chinese goods.
The United States has long accused Chinese companies of intentionally providing supplies to organizations that were involved in the drug’s development. Beijing has responded with its own tariffs.
Additionally, the White House has charged that Canada and Mexico are not doing enough to stop criminal gangs from smuggling fentanyl into the United States.
After gaining some concessions on heightened border security, Trump halted his plans to impose tariffs on both of those nations.
How bad is the US fentanyl problem?
A mixture of chemicals is used to create the synthetic drug fentanyl. In the 1960s, US authorities authorized its use as a painkiller in medical settings; however, it has since emerged as the primary drug that causes opioid overdose deaths in the US.
In 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that more than 74,000 Americans lost their lives as a result of consuming drug mixtures containing fentanyl.
Because fentanyl is commonly combined with other illegal substances, many users are unaware that they are taking fentanyl.
A dose of fentanyl as small as two milligrams, or about the size of a pencil tip, can be lethal.
The global supply chain for fentanyl has grown over the last ten years, making it more difficult for lawmakers and law enforcement to regulate.
China is the main supplier of the raw materials needed to make fentanyl.
Mexico is where the majority of fentanyl enters the US.
US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) data shows that 4,500 lbs (2,040 kg) of fentanyl have been seized in the United States since September.
The southwestern border with Mexico intercepted nearly all of them (98 percent). Less than 1% was taken from the Canadian side of the northern US border. Other US checkpoints or maritime routes accounted for the remainder.
The Sinaloa Cartel and other Mexican criminal organizations are crucial in the production and distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other illegal substances into the United States, according to the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Traffickers purchase the raw materials for fentanyl from China, transform them in Mexican laboratories, and then smuggle the finished product into the United States.
The DEA claims that the Sinaloa Cartel employs a number of strategies to hide shipments entering Mexico, including employing front companies, mislabeling containers, shipping through third-party nations, and blending the chemicals in with valid commercial goods.
The Mexican government is alleged to have colluded with the drug cartels by the Trump administration. Sheinbaum, the president of Mexico, calls the allegations “slander.”. “.
In December, Mexico’s security forces reported the largest fentanyl seizure in their history, which amounted to approximately 20 million doses, shortly after Trump threatened to impose tariffs on the country.
The majority of fentanyl chemicals come from China.
China designated fentanyl as a controlled substance in 2019 and subsequently included some of the chemicals that were used to make it on the list.
As a result of those involved in the trade coming up with new ways to get around the law, the trade in other chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, some of which may have legal uses, continues unchecked.
Some Chinese chemical companies may have been selling chemicals, including controlled ones, knowing they were meant to be used to make fentanyl, according to a review of multiple US indictments that include information about undercover agents interacting with Chinese manufacturers.
What did the United States, Mexico, and Canada gain from the tariff standoff?
When Trump creates uncertainty, Xi Jinping sees a chance.
China was hit hard by Trump’s tariffs in the past, and now it’s ready.
Chinese manufacturers have given instructions on how to make fentanyl from products they sell through encrypted platforms and cryptocurrency payments, according to dozens of indictments examined by BBC Verify.
According to Vanda Felbab-Brown, senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institute, “there are vast gaps in the law where criminals sell legitimate goods, but they intentionally sell them to criminal organizations.”.
China said in a statement that it had previously carried out joint operations with the United States and that its drug laws were among the strictest in the world.
It stated, “The United States must examine and resolve its own fentanyl problem.”.
Moreover, the DEA has recognized India as a new significant supplier of the chemicals needed to produce fentanyl, even though China continues to be the primary source.
A January 2025 indictment from the United States accused two Indian chemical companies of supplying the United States and Mexico with the chemicals needed to manufacture fentanyl.
The part Canada plays in the fentanyl trade.
Along with Mexico, President Trump has charged that both countries permit “vast numbers of people to come in and fentanyl to come in” to the United States.
US Customs and Border Patrol data shows that nearly all fentanyl seizures at the US border with Mexico account for nearly all of the seizures of fentanyl entering the US, with only 0.2 percent occurring at the Canadian border.
But according to a January report by Canada’s financial intelligence agency, organized crime groups in Canada are becoming more and more involved in the production of fentanyl by bringing in lab equipment and chemicals from China.
Both parties are involved in the fentanyl trade. During the first ten months of 2024, the US Border Patrol intercepted 32.1lb (14.6kg) of fentanyl coming from Canada, while the Canadian Border Service reported capturing 10.8lb (4.9kg) of fentanyl entering from the US.
In December, the nation committed C$1.3bn ($900m; £700m) to improving border security and fighting fentanyl.
Further coverage by Lucy Gilder.