US report says China not moving fast enough to stem flow of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids
- Beijing is called ‘slow and ineffective’ in cracking down on the production and overseas sales of synthetic opioids to the US
Bilateral efforts to stem the flow of synthetic opioids like fentanyl from China to the United States are being stymied by China’s inadequate regulations on pharmaceutical and chemical production, according to a report released Monday by a US congressional commission.
Beijing’s classification of controlled substances is “slow and ineffective”, warned the report by the US-China Security and Economic Review Commission.
According to the report, Beijing's step-by-step approach to legally classifying chemicals has hampered its ability to crack down on the production of fentanyl, a substance 50 times more powerful than heroin. Because the drug can exist in many variations – or “analogues” – producers can easily skirt regulations by adjusting its chemical make-up.
“Because the Chinese government schedules chemicals one by one, illicit manufacturers create new substances faster than they can be controlled,” the report said.
In negotiations between the two countries’ drug control authorities, US representatives had urged the Chinese government to consider a blanket regulation that would categorise the entire fentanyl class of substances as a controlled substance, prohibiting their production, use and distribution, the report said.