The United States President’s executive order on duties addressing the synthetic opioid supply chain in the People’s Republic of China as applied to low-value imports is an important step in combating the global opioid crisis. The use of opioids has been a major public health issue for decades, with overdose rates continuing to rise. This executive order seeks to target one of the main sources of illegal opioids – the People’s Republic of China – by imposing duties on low-value imports that are suspected to be coming from the country.
The order has received mixed reactions from stakeholders, with some supporting it and others opposing it. Supporters argue that this executive order could help reduce the supply of illegal opioids in the United States by targeting one of their main sources. Opponents, on the other hand, argue that this executive order could lead to trade retaliation from China and harm US-China relations.
Overall, it remains to be seen how effective this executive order will be in addressing the global opioid crisis. However, its implementation will require cooperation between multiple stakeholders, including governments, industry groups, and civil society organizations, to ensure that it is successful.
Read the full text of the order at the whitehouse.gov website.