The federal government plans to take "enhanced measures" with China to combat the supply of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, as well as analogues of the drug.
President Barack Obama's administration said China has committed to targeting U.S.-bound exports of substances controlled in the United States, but not in China.
Additionally, federal officials said, the two countries agreed to increase their exchange of law enforcement and scientific information with a view toward coordinated actions to control substances and chemicals of concern. "We will continue to work with China bilaterally and multilaterally to tighten international scheduling and improve the capacity of states to monitor and analyze illicit synthetic drugs," they said.
The majority of fentanyl and its analogues that drug traffickers bring to the United States originates in China, according to U.S. authorities. Therefore, these are important steps in fighting the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic across the United States, they said.
Fentanyl is up to 50 times more potent than morphine, leading to large numbers of accidental overdoses. According to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from more than 12 states that track fentanyl-related deaths, the drug contributed to more than 9,600 fatal overdoses in those states since 2013. Prince Rogers Nelson, the musician commonly known as Prince, died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl.