Why Trump Put Fentanyl at the Core of US-China Trade Spat

One of US President Donald Trump’s first actions against China following his re-election was to impose a 10% tariff on Chinese imports, punishing Beijing for what he described as its failure to curb illegal exports of fentanyl and the chemicals used to make it.

Fentanyl — a powerful and highly addictive synthetic opioid — is often legally prescribed by doctors to treat post-surgery or chronic pain. But the drug, which is relatively cheap and easy to produce, is also found on the black market and its illicit versions have contributed to a rise in overdose deaths in the US over the past decade.