The CCP has finally banned fentanyl exports, disrupting the supply chain in the Americas

 Direct translation

The CCP has finally banned fentanyl exports! The drug supply chain in the Americas may be disrupted

Editor: Zheng Haozhong / Source: Newtalk / https://www.aboluowang.com/2025/1112/2304420.html / Image : Since the end of 2018, the US and China have been locked in a dispute over export controls on fentanyl precursor chemicals. (Image: Screenshot from @MarioNawfal X account)

Since the end of 2018, the U.S. and China have been locked in a dispute over export controls on fentanyl precursor chemicals. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has not imposed a formal ban on these exports, raising questions about the reasons behind it. Analysis suggests that although the export value of these chemicals is not high and their contribution to the CCP's foreign exchange earnings is limited, the Chinese-American drug cartel networks involved have become a major force in the supply of drugs in the Americas, which may be one reason for Beijing's delay in imposing a ban.

Recently, under continued pressure from the US and the influence of the trade war, the CCP has finally taken action. According to a joint announcement by five departments—the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Emergency Management, the General Administration of Customs, and the National Medical Products Administration—the U.S., Mexico, and Canada have been added to the "List of Specific Countries (Regions)," and 13 precursor chemicals have been separately listed for these three countries. Officials stated that this move aims to strengthen the export management of precursor chemicals and prevent their use in illegal drug manufacturing activities.

An investigation by *The Washington Post* reveals that Chinese chemical companies supplying methamphetamine in Asia and fentanyl in the Americas share the same supply chain and continue to expand. Shan State in eastern Myanmar has become a core region for global methamphetamine production and maintains a tacit agreement with Chinese chemical companies to "prevent drugs from flowing back to China," causing large quantities of methamphetamine to flood into Australian, South Korean, and Southeast Asian markets.

Image : *The Washington Post* investigation reveals that Chinese chemical companies supplying methamphetamine in Asia and fentanyl in the Americas share the same supply chain and continue to expand. (Photo: AP Images)

The recent arrest of Chinese-American drug kingpin Zhang Zhidong by the U.S. Department of Justice has drawn international attention. Zhang Zhidong, known as the "Fentanyl Mastermind," was responsible for importing tons of chemical raw materials from China for two major Mexican drug cartels and providing drug manufacturing training. He went to Mexico before the pandemic, married a local woman, obtained Mexican citizenship, speaks fluent Spanish, and uses multiple aliases to evade law enforcement.

In July of this year, Zhang Zhidong, with the assistance of a Mexican drug cartel, escaped by digging a tunnel through a residential building. He used multiple cars to mislead the pursuit, eventually flying to Cuba on a private plane, then entering Russia via Cuba, until Russian customs discovered his forged documents and deported him back to Cuba. At the request of the Mexican government, Zhang Zhidong was finally deported back to Mexico yesterday and subsequently extradited to the United States.

According to U.S. government indictments, Zhang Zhidong controlled a smuggling network spanning Central and South America, including 150 shell companies and 170 bank accounts, generating over $150 million annually. He smuggled thousands of pounds of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine into the United States. Analysts point out that his level of harm is comparable to Mexico's top drug lords, and his case once again highlights the role of China's chemical supply chain in the global drug market.

U.S. drug enforcement agencies have arrested another Chinese-American transnational drug lord. Zhang Zhidong, 38, born in Beijing, is suspected of importing large quantities of chemical raw materials from China for two major Mexican drug cartels to manufacture fentanyl. He has been designated a "very high-risk individual" by the CIA. 

Image: Retrieved from X account @AsiaFinance