Overview
- FBI Director Kash Patel briefed reporters after a quiet trip to Beijing, the first visit by an FBI chief in more than a decade focused on fentanyl precursors.
- China’s Ministry of Commerce this week added 13 chemicals to a list requiring export licenses for shipments to the United States, Mexico and Canada.
- Patel said China also agreed to place seven related chemical subsidiaries under added controls and asserted the substances are banned effective immediately.
- Trump reduced fentanyl-related tariffs on Chinese imports from 20% to 10% following his Oct. 30 meeting with Xi Jinping.
- Experts urged caution, noting the real impact hinges on enforcement and verification and that prior Chinese pledges have not always produced sustained results.