Beijing, February 28, 2025: China has vowed to take “all necessary countermeasures” after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new 10% tariff on Chinese goods, citing fentanyl smuggling concerns.
On Thursday, Trump revealed plans to impose the additional 10% duty next month, adding to a similar tariff introduced earlier this month. He also confirmed that his proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods would take effect on March 4.
“The very high and unacceptable levels of fentanyl entering the U.S. demand immediate action,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social.
Reacting sharply, China’s Ministry of Commerce accused Washington of “shifting the blame and shirking responsibility”, calling U.S. drug policies inadequate.
“China’s drug laws are among the strictest in the world. The U.S. must not repeat its mistakes but instead return to the path of resolving disputes through equal dialogue,” a ministry spokesperson said on Friday.
“If the U.S. insists on proceeding with this course of action, China will take all necessary countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”
China also criticized Washington’s unilateral trade policies, stating, “We have repeatedly stated that unilateral tariffs violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and undermine the multilateral trading system.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that more than 74,000 Americans died from synthetic opioid overdoses in 2023, with fentanyl as the primary cause.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has identified China as the main source of precursor chemicals used by Mexican cartels to produce fentanyl.
However, Beijing insists it has taken significant steps to address the issue, including adding fentanyl-related substances to its list of controlled drugs and engaging in extensive cooperation with Washington on drug control.
Despite these efforts, tensions between the world’s two largest economies continue to rise, with China now considering retaliatory trade actions in response to Trump’s latest tariff move.
