Fentanyl, China, and Trump’s 2025 tariffs

Fentanyl abuse is a first-order public health crisis in the United States. In 2025, President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on China for its role in fentanyl trade, then raised them, lowered them, and in 2026 a Supreme Court decision eliminated them. But variations in tariff rates over 2025–26 cannot explain an epidemic that had already begun to recede when the second Trump administration took office. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Drug overdoses—the bulk associated with fentanyl—were the leading cause of death among…

Fentanyl abuse is a first-order public health crisis in the United States. In 2025, President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on China for its role in fentanyl trade, then raised them, lowered them, and in 2026 a Supreme Court decision eliminated them. But variations in tariff rates over 2025–26 cannot explain an epidemic that had already…

Fentanyl abuse is a first-order public health crisis in the United States. In 2025, President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on China for its role in fentanyl trade, then raised them, lowered them, and in 2026 a Supreme Court decision eliminated them. But variations in tariff rates over 2025–26 cannot explain an epidemic that had already begun to recede when the second Trump administration took office. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Drug overdoses—the bulk associated…