Trump accuses China of smuggling fentanyl into US via Venezuela, says issue will top agenda in Xi meeting

Donald Trump takes questions from reporters alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi at an announcement on his Homeland Security Task Force in the White House ( AFP)

US President Donald Trump on Thursday accused China of smuggling fentanyl into the United States through Venezuela and said the matter would be among the top issues discussed when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in South Korea.

“They are doing that,” Trump said when asked if China was sending fentanyl to the US via Venezuela. “But they are paying a 20% tariff right now because of fentanyl. That’s billions and billions of dollars. On November 1, the tariff on China will increase to 157%, a record-setting level. It’s not sustainable for them.”

Trump said his upcoming meeting with Xi would focus heavily on the issue. “I’m meeting with President Xi… The first question I’m going to be asking him about is fentanyl. They make $100 million selling fentanyl into our country. They lose $100 billion with the 20% tariff. So it’s not a good business proposition,” he told reporters.

“It’s one of the things we’re talking about… They pay a very big penalty for doing that… We’ll see what happens at the end of next week… I’m meeting with President Xi, actually, in South Korea,” he added.

The president’s remarks come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade and narcotics trafficking. The US has repeatedly accused China of being a key source of fentanyl and its chemical precursors, which have fueled America’s deadly opioid crisis.

Earlier this year, Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports, raising duties as high as 145%. He has since threatened to hike those further, saying the tariffs are necessary to pressure Beijing to curb fentanyl production and trade practices that disadvantage the US.

In an earlier interview with Fox Business Network, Trump was asked if the steep tariffs could continue indefinitely. “It’s not sustainable,” he said, though he defended the policy as necessary. “That’s what the number is, it’s probably not, you know, it could stand, but they forced me to do that.”

The trade war between the world’s two largest economies has unsettled global markets and disrupted supply chains. Although both countries agreed to a 90-day truce earlier this year, that pause is set to expire on November 10 unless extended.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt hinted this week that Trump may toughen the measures further. “If you read the sanctions and look at them, they’re pretty hefty,” she said, referring to recent economic actions targeting both China and India, the latter being one of the largest buyers of Russian oil.

“It’s full court press for sure, and we expect that these sanctions are going to do harm,” Leavitt said.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration also announced sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies in response to Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.