After this year's G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, China agreed to reclassify fentanyl as a controlled substance to restrict its illegal distribution to the United States, according to CNN.
The recent decision to make the synthetic opioid drug a controlled substance indicates distributors in China selling fentanyl to the U.S. "will be subject to China's maximum penalty under the law," according to statement cited by CNN.
Fentanyl is an opioid about 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and about 30 to 50 times more stronger than heroin.
The CDC indicated about 5,500 people died from synthetic opioid overdoses in 2014, according to CNN.
More articles on opioids:
Some marketplaces on UK's dark web refuse to sell fentanyl
Bloomberg Philanthropies will gift $50M to combat opioid epidemic: 5 things to know
Lawyers for opioid-addicted newborns want separate lawsuit