How does fentanyl get into the US?

President Trump has blamed China for its opioid crisis and imposed sweeping tariffs.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersHow does fentanyl get into the US?24 hours agoReutersKayleen Devlin & Yi MaBBC VerifyPresident Donald Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods, citing Beijing's failure to stop the export of chemicals used in the production of the powerful opioid fentanyl.

The US has long accused Chinese corporations of knowingly supplying groups involved in the creation of the drug. Beijing has hit back with tariffs of its own.

The White House has also accused Canada and Mexico of failing to prevent criminal gangs from smuggling fentanyl into the US.

Trump had planned tariffs against both those countries but he suspended that threat after winning some concessions on increased border security.

Fentanyl is a synthetic drug manufactured from a combination of chemicals. US regulators approved it for use in medical settings as a pain reliever in the 1960s, but it has since become the main drug responsible for opioid overdose deaths in the US.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg93nn1e6go

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