Canada and Mexico are trying to convince the U.S. government, led by President Donald Trump, that they’re making progress in stopping the flow of fentanyl—a dangerous opioid—into the U.S.
This comes just before a March 4 deadline, after which the U.S. plans to hit their goods with a 25% tax (called a tariff).
According to Reuters, Trump says these tariffs are necessary because not enough is being done to reduce fentanyl-related deaths in the U.S.
Meanwhile, China, which already faces a 10% tariff on its goods, is pushing back. They’ve accused the U.S. of using tariffs as a form of “pressure and blackmail” over the fentanyl issue.
A Chinese spokesperson, Lin Jian, said these tariffs are hurting cooperation between the two countries on drug control. Reuters reports that China warned this strategy could backfire.
In Washington, Mexican officials met with U.S. trade representatives to discuss the issue. Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard called the meeting “cordial” and expressed optimism about future cooperation, but didn’t give specifics on how they’ll avoid the tariffs.
Reuters notes that Mexico recently made a big move by extraditing 28 suspected drug cartel members to the U.S., including a notorious figure from the 1980s, Rafael Caro Quintero, who’s now facing drug trafficking charges in New York.
On the trade side, Mexico is also considering new measures to limit low-value shipments from China, which they believe could help reduce the flow of fentanyl.
The U.S. has already taken steps to tighten controls on small packages entering the country, as many of these have been used to smuggle fentanyl and its ingredients.
However, Reuters reports that these efforts were paused because U.S. Customs got overwhelmed with the volume of packages.
While all this is happening, Trump and his team are also dealing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to the White House.
The two leaders reportedly had a heated argument over the Russia-Ukraine war and a failed minerals agreement.
This distraction comes just as the U.S. is preparing to impose tariffs on China, which happens to coincide with China’s annual parliamentary meetings. These meetings are a big deal in China, where the government announces its economic plans for the coming year.
Reuters highlights that Trump’s tough stance on tariffs is putting pressure on China, Mexico, and Canada, even though he backed off from an earlier threat of 60% tariffs when he first took office.
A White House official told Reuters that discussions are ongoing with all three countries, but fentanyl deaths remain a major concern.
In 2023 alone, over 72,000 people in the U.S. died from synthetic opioids, mostly fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Credit: Reuters