Overview
- In White House remarks, Trump said Chinese manufacturers are using Venezuela to bypass U.S. and Mexican port controls.
- He stated China is currently paying a 20% tariff "because of fentanyl" and asserted the rate will rise to 157% on November 1.
- The meeting with Xi is scheduled on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Busan, South Korea, which would be their first in-person encounter since 2019.
- Trump said he will notify Congress of plans for land-based strikes on cartel targets in Venezuela following a September start to a seaborne campaign.
- He cited federal data showing nearly 330,000 U.S. fentanyl deaths over five years and touted roughly 3,200 cartel-related arrests in the past month.