Overview
- An executive order signed Tuesday lowers the fentanyl-linked tariff from 20% to 10% effective November 10, implementing an October summit agreement with Xi Jinping.
- The White House says China will halt shipments of certain designated chemicals to North America and will tighten export controls on other chemicals worldwide.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says a new bilateral counternarcotics working group will seek a consensus on fentanyl policy and enforcement steps.
- U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer notes the remaining 10% tariff provides leverage, and Trump’s order warns the rate could be raised if China fails to follow through.
- The pact is framed as a one-year stabilizing measure as analysts and Republican lawmakers question whether another working group will deliver results, noting sparse detail from Beijing and past breakdowns.