Overview
- China announced on Sept. 22 that two additional precursor chemicals destined for the United States, Mexico and Canada will need export permits, raising the controlled list to 18.
- The Commerce Ministry and other Chinese agencies issued the new rules with immediate effect, saying exporters must apply for permission to ship the two substances to the three countries.
- This expansion follows earlier rounds of controls that added 13 chemicals in November 2025 and three more in May 2026, showing a stepwise tightening of export rules.
- The timing of the announcement comes days before President Xi Jinping’s planned meeting with President Trump and follows U.S. pressure that has long blamed Chinese suppliers for supplying fentanyl precursors.
- Practical questions remain over how permits will be enforced, whether controls will curb illicit flows and how the move will affect trade relations after the U.S. tariff dispute that was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.