Will the 21st-year-old "Opium War" work?Trump adds 10% to China tariffs and fentanyl

[Anchor]
Trump has vowed to impose an additional 10% tariff on China, raising concerns that the U.S.-China trade war may be escalating.

Fentanyl, dubbed "zombie drugs," was cited as the reason for the additional tariffs, which experts warned could backfire.

Reporter Kim Jandi's report.

[Report]
U.S. President-elect Trump said he will impose tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada from the day of his inauguration on January 20 next year.

That's why we're dealing with drug inflows and illegal immigration.

Trump has warned before the presidential election that he would respond to the influx of fentanyl from China and Mexico with tariffs.

[Trump / U.S. President-elect (in Pittsburgh on the 4th): If Mexico doesn't get this poison from China, it can stop it from flowing into the United States, but it doesn't, it will impose tariffs. China will also raise tariffs significantly.]

The narcotic painkiller fentanyl called the 'zombie drug' is 50 times more potent than heroin.

In the United States, the problem is so serious that fentanyl addiction is mentioned as a national security threat.

In 2022 alone, it is estimated that about 110,000 people died from fentanyl overdoses, especially among those aged 18 to 49.

Fentanyl has been a major stumbling block in U.S.-China relations for years, with Chinese companies supplying fentanyl raw materials to Mexico and Mexican-made fentanyl distributed in the U.S.

Because of this, Trump has called on China to tighten fentanyl regulations since his first term in office, but he believes China is not fulfilling its promises.

However, China says it is the world's strictest and most thorough drug-free policy, and that fentanyl is a thorough U.S. problem.

In the United States, Trump seems to have pulled out a tariff card to pressure China for a stronger response to the fentanyl issue, but some are concerned about the adverse effects.

[Josh Boak / AP Senior Reporter] But raising tariffs is a risky proposition. Because it can raise all the prices of living. The U.S. relies on China, Mexico and Canada as important trading partners.]

The Wall Street Journal noted that the resumption of the trade war due to additional tariffs on China risks forcing China to shut down one of its most productive diplomatic channels.

I'm Kim Jandi from YTN.