Trump’s executive order hiking tariffs on Chinese goods condemns the ‘failure of the Government of the People's Republic of China’ to reduce ‘the sustained influx of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl,’ into the US.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday raising the tariffs on products imported from China to 20 percent, in retaliation for the country’s role in the massive influx of fentanyl into the U.S.
The March 3 executive order was shared by the official Rapid Response X account of the White House and indicated that the 10 percent tariff on Chinese products imposed in early February would be increased to 20 percent.
The EO condemns the “failure of the Government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to act to blunt the sustained influx of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl,” into the U.S.
On Thursday, Trump lamented that “drugs are still pouring into our Country from Mexico and Canada at very high and unacceptable levels" and that "a large percentage" of these drugs are made in China.
“More than 100,000 people died last year due to the distribution of these dangerous and highly addictive POISONS. Millions of people have died over the last two decades,” wrote Trump on Truth Social.
“The families of the victims are devastated and, in many instances, virtually destroyed,” he continued, proposing that tariffs be imposed on these countries until the influx of opioids “stops, or is seriously limited.”
Trump has previously acknowledged that tariffs, which result in higher costs for American consumers, may be “painful.”
“WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!),” wrote Trump in a social media post last month. “BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID.”
