Families of Fentanyl victims urge US tariffs on China over opioid crisis

Families seek action over China’s failure to curb the export of fentanyl precursors, not the US import controls.

A group of families who lost loved ones to fentanyl overdoses have filed a petition with the US Trade Representative (USTR), calling for an investigation into China’s alleged role in the US opioid crisis.

The petition, submitted on Thursday, requests economic sanctions, including $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, citing China’s failure to curb the export of chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl.

The petition was filed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the US to impose trade penalties on countries that harm US commerce.

The families argue that China’s inability to crack down on the export of fentanyl precursors has contributed to trillions of dollars in economic losses and a devastating toll on American lives.

Nearly 75,000 Americans died from synthetic opioid overdoses last year, and fatalities have approached half a million over the past decade.

Andrea Thomas, one of the petitioners who lost her daughter to a fentanyl-laced pill in 2018, said the aim is to pressure China to halt the export of these dangerous chemicals.

“There’s been so much devastation to our families,” Thomas said, emphasizing that trade actions could help save lives.

A 2022 analysis from the congressional Joint Economic Committee estimated the US opioid crisis cost nearly $1.5 trillion in 2020 alone.

The petition recommends several countermeasures, including higher tariffs and banning Chinese shipments entering the US through the de minimis trade rule, which allows low-value packages to bypass duties and inspections.

Chinese chemical companies have been accused of using this loophole to send fentanyl ingredients to the US.

China, the world's leading producer of chemicals, has denied these allegations, arguing that it has stringent drug laws and that the US should focus on reducing domestic demand for narcotics.

The Chinese embassy in Washington has not commented on the petition.

Nazak Nikakhtar, an attorney representing the families, stated that the USTR has the authority to investigate due to the broad economic harm caused by fentanyl addiction in the US.

"China responds to economic pressure," said Nikakhtar, urging the US government to use trade measures to compel action from Beijing.

The petition arrives as fentanyl continues to be a major issue in the lead-up to the US presidential election.

Former President Donald Trump, running again as the Republican candidate, has promised to take drastic measures, including military action against Mexican drug cartels, to combat the fentanyl crisis.

His administration previously expanded the use of Section 301 to impose tariffs on China, which sparked a trade war over intellectual property and industrial policies.

Trump has suggested he could use similar tariffs to pressure countries on non-trade issues like immigration if he returns to office.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, has vowed to address fentanyl through international cooperation, particularly with Mexico, where cartels produce large amounts of the synthetic opioid.

The Biden administration has credited its harm reduction policies and enhanced law enforcement efforts with slowing the rate of overdose deaths.

The USTR spokesperson confirmed that the agency is reviewing the petition and will decide within 45 days whether to initiate a formal investigation.

While this petition marks an unusual approach to addressing the opioid crisis, some experts see it as an activist effort rather than a conventional trade action.

Jeff Moon, a former Assistant US Trade Representative for China Affairs, noted that it remains unclear if China’s role in the fentanyl trade directly burdens US commerce as required under Section 301.

Nonetheless, the petition signals growing frustration with China’s response to the opioid crisis and a push for more aggressive US action.