China Tightens Drug Precursor Exports to U.S., Mexico and Canada Ahead of Trump-Xi Meeting

BEIJING (AP) — China said Tuesday it is now requiring export permits for two more chemicals that can be used to make illegal drugs when shipped to the United States, Mexico and Canada, expanding controls on a sensitive trade as President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump prepare to meet this week.

The Commerce Ministry and other authorities jointly announced the new rules. The additions bring to 18 the number of chemicals subject to such controls.

Washington has long described China as the world’s largest source of many precursor chemicals used in the illicit production of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other deadly synthetic drugs. U.S. officials have pressed Beijing to take more aggressive action to keep unregulated precursors out of the hands of drug cartels and clandestine labs.

The issue has become one of the most difficult in U.S.-China relations. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is blamed for tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the United States each year, and precursor controls are seen as one of the few areas where cooperation could produce tangible results.

In November 2025, Beijing announced export restrictions on 13 “drug-making” chemicals to the U.S., Canada and Mexico, including chemicals used to produce the synthetic opioid at the center of the overdose crisis. In May, China added three additional types of fentanyl-related precursors to the list. The measures followed meetings between Xi and Trump in South Korea in October 2025 and in Beijing in May.

China had faced a fentanyl-related tariff imposed by the United States. Beijing then issued a report in March 2025 detailing its efforts to control the illegal fentanyl trade. Its foreign minister also criticized Washington for answering Beijing’s goodwill with tariffs. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the tariff in February.

The latest move is likely to be read in Washington as a sign of Chinese cooperation before the leaders’ meeting, while also giving Beijing a measure of diplomatic leverage. But analysts caution that permit requirements alone may not be enough: traffickers frequently shift suppliers, mislabel shipments or route chemicals through third countries, making enforcement and destination checks a persistent challenge.

For chemical and pharmaceutical exporters, the new permits could mean additional paperwork, delays and compliance costs. For U.S., Mexican and Canadian authorities, the test will be whether the expanded list translates into fewer precursor seizures and a measurable impact on illicit drug production.