BEIJING - China imposed new export controls Tuesday on two chemicals associated with the production of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, requiring companies to obtain permits before shipping the substances to the United States, Mexico or Canada.
The move comes days before an expected meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping and addresses an issue that has repeatedly been at the center of negotiations between Washington and Beijing.
China's Ministry of Commerce announced the restrictions jointly with the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Emergency Management, General Administration of Customs and National Medical Products Administration.
The controls took effect immediately upon publication Tuesday.
The newly listed substances are methyl 1-phenethyl-4-oxo-3-piperidinecarboxylate and ethyl 1-phenethyl-4-oxo-3-piperidinecarboxylate.
Reuters described the two substances as piperidone compounds structurally related to a known fentanyl precursor.
Companies exporting chemicals on the controlled list to the United States, Mexico and Canada must now apply for licenses under China's rules governing precursor-chemical exports to specific countries.
Exports of the same substances to countries outside the designated group are not subject to the same licensing requirement under Tuesday's announcement.
Fentanyl remains major U.S.-China issue
The Trump administration has repeatedly pressed China to restrict companies involved in manufacturing or exporting chemicals that can be used to produce illicit fentanyl.
Fentanyl itself can be manufactured using precursor chemicals that have legitimate industrial or pharmaceutical uses, complicating efforts to disrupt illicit supply chains without restricting lawful commerce.
U.S. authorities have long focused on supply networks in which precursor chemicals originating in China are shipped to Mexico and used by criminal organizations to manufacture fentanyl before the finished drug is trafficked into the United States.
Beijing has responded by expanding its controls on particular chemicals while arguing that China already maintains stringent narcotics regulations.
Tuesday's action is the latest in a series of changes to China's precursor-control system.
China added three other chemicals to its controlled export list in May, also requiring permits for shipments to the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Reuters reported that China made similar changes after earlier meetings between Trump and Xi, making counternarcotics cooperation one of the recurring areas where the two governments have been able to reach limited agreements despite broader economic and geopolitical tensions.
Controls come ahead of leaders' meeting
The timing places the announcement directly ahead of the expected Trump-Xi summit in Washington.
Fentanyl precursor controls are among several issues being discussed as the two governments attempt to manage disputes involving trade, tariffs, critical minerals, technology and national security.
Reuters reported last week that fentanyl was expected to be among the subjects addressed in high-level U.S.-China economic discussions ahead of the leaders' meeting.
China's latest restrictions provide Beijing with a concrete counternarcotics action before the summit, although neither government has said the measure resolves the broader fentanyl dispute.
It also remains to be seen how aggressively Chinese regulators will enforce the new permit requirement and whether exporters will attempt to substitute uncontrolled chemicals or reroute shipments through other countries.
Those enforcement questions have been central to previous U.S. concerns about precursor controls.
Two additional chemicals now controlled
China's official notice adds the two new substances to the first section of its export-control list for precursor chemicals.
An English-language regulatory summary from MLex says the additions bring that portion of the controlled list to 18 substances.
The licensing requirement applies specifically to exports headed for the United States, Mexico and Canada.
China maintains a separate portion of the control system covering exports of certain chemicals to Myanmar, Laos and Afghanistan.
The rules do not amount to a complete export ban. Companies can still seek authorization to ship controlled chemicals to designated countries.
The permit system is intended to give Chinese authorities greater visibility into exporters, buyers, destinations and proposed uses of chemicals considered vulnerable to diversion into illegal drug manufacturing.
What the action does not resolve
Adding chemicals to an export-control list does not by itself establish how much illicit fentanyl production will decline.
Synthetic-drug manufacturers can modify production methods, switch precursors or obtain substances through intermediaries, which has led governments to continually update controlled-chemical lists.
Enforcement cooperation between the United States, China, Mexico and other countries therefore remains an important part of efforts to disrupt the supply chain.
Reuters reported that Chinese state media have highlighted recent joint investigations involving U.S. authorities as evidence of continuing law-enforcement cooperation.
At the same time, Beijing has maintained that the United States bears primary responsibility for its domestic fentanyl crisis, a position that remains at odds with Washington's emphasis on restricting overseas precursor supplies.
The new controls are nevertheless a measurable policy change immediately before Trump and Xi meet.
The next questions are whether the leaders announce additional fentanyl-related commitments at their summit and whether Tuesday's licensing requirements produce identifiable changes in precursor shipments to North America.