China adds two fentanyl precursor chemicals to export control list

Beijing: China said on Tuesday that it is now requiring permits for exports to the United States, Mexico and Canada of two additional chemicals that can be used to make illegal drugs, expanding controls on shipments to the three countries.

The Commerce Ministry and other authorities jointly announced the new regulations ahead of this week's meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. The additions bring the number of chemicals under such controls to 18.

The two added chemicals are piperidone compounds structurally related to a well-known fentanyl precursor.


The US has called China the world's largest producer of many of the precursor chemicals used in the illicit production of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other deadly synthetic drugs. It has urged Beijing to take more aggressive action to reduce the flow of unregulated precursor chemicals.

In November 2025, Beijing announced export restrictions on 13 "drug-making" chemicals, including chemicals used to produce the synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the US every year.