The new president of the United States, Donald Trump, revealed on Tuesday, January 21, his intention to impose a 10 percent tariff on imports from China in response to the flow of fentanyl. "We are talking about a 10 percent tariff on China, based on the fact that they are sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada," Trump told reporters.
In a previous statement, on the day of his inauguration, Trump had announced that starting February 1, he would impose a 25 percent tariff on Mexico and Canada for the same reason, in addition to illegal migration. The president described the influx of this drug into the United States through its northern and southern borders as "massive," lamenting the fatal and destructive consequences it brings.
In a recent conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump expressed his rejection of fentanyl entering the country and recalled a previous agreement with China to impose the death penalty on drug traffickers, a pact that, according to him, Biden did not continue. Trump pledged to achieve such a sentence for those who send fentanyl to the United States, considering that this drug has caused around 300,000 deaths in the country.
Although the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported nearly 70,000 fatal overdoses caused by fentanyl in the country last year, Trump maintains his position of combating this problem through the imposition of tariffs on China and other countries involved in its distribution.
Trump's determination on this matter, based on his concern for the severe consequences of fentanyl in American society, reflects his firm stance against drug trafficking and his intention to enforce strict measures to combat this scourge.
