Recently, the U.S. government, citing the fentanyl issue, imposed additional tariffs of 10% on Chinese goods on February 1 and March 4, respectively, on top of existing tariffs. These moves expose the essence of U.S. unilateralism and protectionism, which will ultimately harm others without benefiting itself. China resolutely defends its legitimate rights and interests and is willing to work with other nations to uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system, promoting orderly and stable development of international trade.
I. Imposing Tariffs on China Under the Pretext of Fentanyl Lacks Factual Basis and Logical Consistency
It is well-known that the narcotics once inflicted appalling suffering on the Chinese nation, causing wounds that are still keenly felt by the people. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the government has relentlessly fought the illegal drug trade and worked tirelessly to solve the problem. Today, China is globally recognized as one of the strictest and most rigorous enforcers of drug control policies.
In recent years, China has attached great importance to maintaining control over fentanyl-related substances, and has taken advance precautions, improved overall planning, and adopted comprehensive measures and systematic control. On April 1, 2019, China issued a statement announcing scheduling as a class all fentanyl-related substances as of May 1, 2019, making it the first country in the world to do so.
-China has enumerated fentanyl-related medications in the List of Controlled Narcotic Drugs and exercises strict control in terms of their manufacturing, sale, use, and export. The export of fentanyl-related medications is subject to by-permit administration. Based on strict examination and approval, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) verifies with and obtains confirmation of legality of the transaction from the competent authorities of the importing country for each exported shipment of narcotic drugs before issuing a permit for export. In 2023, China exported 9.766 kilograms of fentanyl-related medications, mainly to Asian, Latin American and European countries and did not export any type of fentanyl-related medication in any form to North America.
-China actively responds to new challenges associated with fentanyl-related substances. To prevent the abuse of fentanyl-related substances and to combat and control related crimes to the greatest extent possible, it has adopted integrated measures such as expanding the list of controlled substances, strengthening regular supervision, stepping up inspection and seizure, and implementing innovative controls. Since implementing full scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, China has not detected any further cases of smuggling or selling fentanyl-related substances abroad.
-China has established complete legal and administrative systems for scheduled precursor chemicals. Competent authorities expand the control list of precursors of fentanyl-related substances and supervise their production, sales, purchase, transportation, and export in accordance with their respective responsibilities. For the five types of precursor chemicals already under control, a strict approval, permit, and international verification system is in place. Before the Ministry of Commerce examines applications for export permits, the Ministry of Public Security sends a verification request to the competent authorities of the importing country through the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)'s Pre-Export Notification (PEN) Online system. After receiving the feedback verifying the legality of the transaction, the Ministry of Commerce issues permit in accordance with the law. The customs departments proceed with export clearance with declaration documents and the export permit. Since establishing control over the five aforementioned precursors, there has been no recorded application for export by Chinese enterprises.
Therefore, the U.S. decision to impose tariffs on China under the pretext of fentanyl reveals a lack of factual basis and logical coherence. This strategy of conflating trade policy with drug control not only fails to address the U.S. fentanyl crisis but also undermines international anti-drug cooperation, reflecting a habitual U.S. tendency to weaponize security concerns in its China policy.
II. U.S. Tariffs Epitomize Unilateralism and Protectionism, Harming All Parties Involved
Beyond using fentanyl as a pretext, the U.S. has threatened to impose tariffs on imports such as steel, aluminum, copper, automobiles, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals, and reciprocal tariffs on trading partners.
The U.S. wields tariffs as a coercive tool to force others to accept terms prioritizing its own interests. Examples include invoking national security to justify Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum, leveraging tariff threats to pressure Mexico and Canada on immigration policies, and demanding unilateral tariff reductions from the EU and India with threat of reciprocal tariffs. Such actions, which subordinate international law to domestic legislation, violate WTO rules and erode the credibility of the multilateral trading system.
U.S. tariffs jeopardize global economic growth. The World Bank estimates that a unilateral 10% U.S. tariff could reduce global GDP growth by 0.3 percentage points. The IMF’s 2025 Global Economic Outlook projects that a 10% tariff war among major economies (U.S., Eurozone, China, etc.) could slash global growth by 0.8 percentage points in 2025 and 1.3 percentage points in 2026.
The IMF also cautions that protectionism will backfire on the U.S. economy. Under a trade war scenario, U.S. growth in 2025 could fall below baseline forecasts (2.2%), further harming employment and consumption. The Peterson Institute for International Economics notes that 90% of the costs from U.S. tariffs on China are borne by American businesses and consumers, pushing up inflation by 0.5 percentage points. Since early 2025, the S&P 500 has dropped 4%, erasing over US$3.4 trillion in market value due to tariff uncertainties.
III. China Stands Ready to Collaborate with the Rest of the World to Uphold the Rules-Based Multilateral Trading System
China, a staunch supporter of free trade and the rules-based multilateral trading system, firmly opposes unilateralism and protectionism while advocating for inclusive globalization. To defend its rights and uphold the WTO’s authority, China has filed a lawsuit at the WTO against U.S. tariffs and implemented lawful countermeasures.
The U.S. tariff hike has sparked fierce resistance. Mexican President declared on March 5 that Mexico "will not yield" and will take reciprocal retaliatory measures if the U.S. continues to implement tariffs. On the same day, Canada has filed a WTO complaint against U.S. tariffs, and the EU has pledged clear and targeted countermeasures to protect its industries. More nations are expected to join in this collective defense of economic interests.
China is willing to work with other WTO members to jointly address the challenges posed by unilateralism and trade protectionism to the multilateral trading system and to maintain the orderly and stable development of international trade. At the same time, China also hopes that the US government will refrain from going further down the wrong road, return to the right track of abiding by international rules and multilateral frameworks, resolve differences through constructive dialogue, and work together to maintain the stability of the global supply chain and achieve sustainable development for mutual benefit and win-win results.