THE United States has imposed an additional 10% tariff on imports from China, citing fentanyl as the primary issue.
This tariff hike has been firmly opposed by China, which believes that tariffs are not a solution to the fentanyl crisis in the US.
China’s stance remains clear: trade wars have no winners, and the US’s actions violate WTO rules.
Additionally, these tariffs cannot resolve the domestic problems of the US, nor do they benefit either side.
Instead, they hinder global cooperation.
China has long been a strong advocate for counternarcotics efforts and has taken significant steps to address fentanyl abuse.
In 2019, China became the first country in the world to officially schedule fentanyl-related substances as a controlled substance, demonstrating its commitment to fighting the global drug trade.
Despite these efforts, the US continues to place blame on China for its fentanyl crisis, rather than addressing the root causes within its own borders.
In fact, China has made notable contributions to the US’s counternarcotics efforts.
Since 2019, China has cooperated with the US in a variety of ways, including intelligence sharing, joint drug scheduling, and technology exchanges.
China’s strict policies have already led to a reduction in fentanyl abuse in China.
According to the 2023 China Drug Situation Report, registered drug users in China decreased by 20.3% annually, falling to 896,000, or 0.064% of the population.
Yet, despite this cooperation, the US has ignored China’s efforts and instead imposed punitive measures.
The crisis in the US is primarily driven by domestic issues, not external forces.
The US consumes over 80% of the global opioid supply, despite having less than 5% of the world’s population.
In 2023, synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, were responsible for 75,000 overdose deaths, making it the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45.
The crisis is compounded by lax prescription practices, insufficient regulation, and a lack of public awareness.
Easy access to fentanyl is as simple as ordering a pizza, as a Los Angeles County sheriff noted.
The US government has failed to address these root causes, opting instead to blame China for the epidemic.
This scapegoating strategy has proven to be ineffective and counterproductive.
While China has been helping the US with its efforts, including through the creation of a bilateral Counternarcotics Working Group in January 2024, the US continues to falsely assign responsibility to China.
In fact, the US State Department’s 2024 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report acknowledged that nearly no fentanyl or analogues have entered the US directly from China since China’s 2019 drug control policies were implemented.
Moreover, the efforts of the US to pressure China through tariff hikes are misguided and irresponsible.
These tariffs have only burdened American consumers and undermined the ongoing counternarcotics dialogue between the two countries.
The approach of using tariffs as a tool to solve the fentanyl issue has proven to be ineffective.
A true solution requires cooperation and mutual respect between the US and China, as well as a domestic reckoning in the US regarding its over-reliance on opioids and lax drug policies.
The US’s failure to acknowledge its own role in the fentanyl crisis is evident in the actions it has taken over the past few years.
Rather than focusing on domestic reform and addressing the root causes of addiction and overdose, the US has used China as a scapegoat, ignoring the fact that China has made significant strides in combating narcotics.
In addition to its drug control policies, China has shared intelligence, removed online advertisements related to fentanyl, and worked with the US on joint cases.
This collaboration has yielded tangible results, including a drop in fentanyl overdose deaths in the US by approximately 14% from June 2023 to June 2024.
If the US truly wants to address the fentanyl crisis, it must look inward and confront the failures of its own policies.
The US needs to recognize the steps China has taken and engage in a productive dialogue, based on equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit, to solve the problem collaboratively.
Tariffs, pressure tactics, and scapegoating will not bring an end to the fentanyl crisis.
The solution lies in working together, with an honest assessment of each country’s role in addressing the global drug trade.
In conclusion, the US’s strategy of imposing tariffs on China in an attempt to solve its fentanyl crisis is not only misguided but counterproductive.
While China has shown a commitment to addressing the issue, the US has failed to acknowledge its own responsibility in perpetuating the crisis.
The only way forward is through cooperation, dialogue, and addressing the root causes of the crisis within the US itself.
The imposition of tariffs may seem like an immediate solution, but in reality, it is only exacerbating the problem.
As China continues to stand firm against these punitive measures, the US must reconsider its approach and work towards a more effective and collaborative solution to the fentanyl epidemic.
The writer is contributing columnist, based in Rawalpindi.
