WASHINGTON, Nov 12 (Reuters) – China agreed on a plan to stop fentanyl-related chemicals as part of its deal with the Trump administration to crack down on the lethal opioid, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Wednesday.
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“The People’s Republic of China has fully designated and listed all 13 precursors utilized to make fentanyl,” Patel said at a news briefing. “Furthermore, they have agreed to control seven chemical subsidiaries that are also utilized to produce this lethal drug.”
He did not provide additional details. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
Item 1 of 2 FBI Director Kash Patel speaks, accompanied by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, during a briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 12, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
The anti-drug authority also tightened oversight of production and export of drug-making chemicals not on its control list to keep them out of illegal channels, it said in a notice.
It underscored criminal risks exporters could face when shipping chemicals to certain “high-risk” countries such as the United States.
Xi will work “very hard to stop the flow” of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that is the leading cause of American overdose deaths, Trump told reporters after the talks.
The deal signaled a shift for Trump officials, who had insisted that punitive measures would remain in place until China proved it was cracking down on fentanyl supply chains.
Chinese officials vehemently defend their record on fentanyl, saying they have already taken extensive action to regulate precursor chemicals used to make the drug and accuse Washington of using the issue as “blackmail.”
Reporting By Gram Slattery, Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt;
Editing by Nick Zieminski
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
