Opinion | Rampant trade tariffs are no cure for the US’ fentanyl crisis

The public health disaster results from the US’ painkiller culture. Meanwhile, tariff hikes are sparking serious concerns about a recession

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Cargo containers sit against the Hong Kong skyline on March 4. US President Donald Trump imposed additional tariffs on imports from China, including Hong Kong, citing the fentanyl crisis. Photo: dpa

Published: 8:30pm, 19 Mar 2025

The US government, despite opposition from all sides, has slapped tariffs indiscriminately on countries around the world. Citing China’s alleged failure to take sufficient measures to address the fentanyl issue, the United States announced an additional 20 per cent tariff on Chinese products exported to the US, including those from Hong Kong.

It should be obvious to any discerning observer that this move is political manipulation intended to deflect attention away from the US’ domestic problems, a typical example of trade bullying and a serious provocation to the international economic and trade order.

The fentanyl crisis is a tumour in American society stemming from the US government’s own failure at social governance. Making someone else swallow bitter medicine won’t solve America’s problem. The United States is the world’s largest consumer of opioid drugs. Although its population accounts for only 4 per cent of the world’s total, it consumes more than 80 per cent of the global opioids.

In 2023 alone, around 74,000 Americans died after taking drug mixtures containing fentanyl. This public health disaster results from the US’ own painkiller culture. For years, under a push by the US pharmaceutical industry, opioid painkillers became extremely popular, while supervision lagged far behind. To eradicate the fentanyl crisis, the US must address the root cause rather than shift the blame on to others.

Nevertheless, in line with the spirit of humanitarianism, in recent years, China has actively supported the US in addressing the fentanyl issue at its request.

As early as in 2019, China became the first country in the world to schedule fentanyl-related substances as a whole class of prohibited substances. In 2024, the US Department of State said in its International Narcotics Control Strategy Report: “Almost no fentanyl or fentanyl analogues have been detected directly entering the United States from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since the PRC implemented controls over fentanyl-related substances as a class in 2019.”