Trump says tariffs are meant to curb fentanyl, but overdose deaths are declining

While President Donald Trump has said the tariffs are meant stop the flow of drugs across the border, experts worry it may undermine progress already underway.

President Donald Trump says a primary reason for his new tariffs against the United States’ three largest trading partners is what he calls a “national emergency” brought on by fentanyl flowing across the country’s borders.

Trump says he is holding Canada, China and Mexico accountable for the spread of contraband drugs.

"They’ve allowed fentanyl to come into our country at levels never seen before," he said in a joint address to Congress on Tuesday night, referring to Mexico and Canada, "killing hundreds of thousands of our citizens and many very young, beautiful people, destroying families."

But the tariffs come as the fentanyl epidemic is showing glimmers of improvement, drug policy experts and economic researchers say.

They fear that the 25% tariff on nearly all goods from Mexico and Canada and 20% on all Chinese imports will only erode the international cooperation needed to thwart global drug trafficking operations.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-tariffs-fentanyl-overdose-deaths-declining-rcna194752

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