Washington welcomed China’s move on Monday to list all fentanyl-related substances as controlled narcotics, after criticism from President Donald Trump for allowing the synthetic opioid to be shipped to the United States.
The United States is battling an epidemic of opioid-related deaths, and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has said he hopes to include China’s commitments to curb the drug in any agreement to end the two countries’ bitter trade war.
“This significant development will eliminate Chinese drug traffickers’ ability to alter fentanyl compounds to get around the law,” the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said in a statement.
