China Tightens Fentanyl Controls in Goodwill Gesture to Trump

China moved to tighten controls over two chemicals that can be used to make fentanyl, in an apparent olive branch to the US that may help maintain their fragile trade truce.

Authorities added two previously unclassified precursors to a list of Class Two chemicals, according to a joint statement by six government departments on Monday. The label will subject the substances, 4-piperidone and 1-boc-4-piperidone, to tougher supervision starting July 20.

The announcement followed a meeting between China’s Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong and US Ambassador David Perdue in Beijing last week. Wang said China was ready to collaborate on law enforcement areas such as counter-narcotics, which has been a source of friction between the world’s largest economies.

The move by the Chinese government “reflects its active participation in global drug governance and its commitment as a responsible major power,” according to the statement, which didn’t mention the US. The Ministry of Public Security is one of the six departments that announced the classification.

One of the chemicals, 4-piperidone, is regulated in the US as a precursor to fentanyl. The other substance, 1-boc-4-piperidone, can be used to make a precursor for the narcotic.

Beijing’s gesture comes after recent trade talks led to a suspension of drastic tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese goods. But 20% levies tied to fentanyl have remained, making products from China less competitive and contributing to a drop in exports to the US. Cracking down on precursors is one of the few obvious avenues China has that may reduce those charges.

The Trump administration suggested the tariffs were a way of holding China accountable for its alleged failure to curb the flow of drugs fueling the US opioid crisis. Beijing has argued that fentanyl cooperation has been a relatively bright spot in bilateral ties and that the US owes it a “big thank you” for efforts to curtail smuggling.

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