U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss said that tariffs should not be used as a tool to deter the Chinese Communist Party and Mexican drug cartels, which he claims "work together to traffic fentanyl." This statement was made in a December 2 post on X.

"The Chinese Communist Party & the Mexican drug cartels are working together to traffic fentanyl into the United States," said U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, U.S. Rep. from Massachusetts' 4th District. "All counter-measures need to be considered – and I'm drafting several bipartisan bills – but across-the-board tariffs should be a last resort, since that will raise prices & compress wages for Americans."

In a February press release, Auchincloss made two recommendations concerning trade in relation to the "economic and technological competition between the U.S. and China." He advocated for getting "tougher on trade with China" while also "increasing U.S. engagement with the Global South." As a member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Auchincloss has critiqued protectionist policies, particularly with nations like Nigeria and Indonesia.

Screenshot of Post on X | X

According to Donald Im, a former Special Agent in Charge at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Chinese money launderers ship fentanyl precursors to Mexico for production. Im explained that they often start with a contract involving $1 million of cash from selling fentanyl and methamphetamine, stored in a New York City apartment. The NYC cell will then "contact his superior in Mexico and state that the cash had been counted and it’s ready for delivery," Im said while testifying before the Select Committee on the CCP. Subsequently, from the Mexico cell, they reach out to "various Chinese Mexican businessmen who operate as money launderers and money brokers."

The Tax Foundation has indicated that increasing tariffs on foreign imported goods will incentivize consumers to "switch to domestically produced goods," benefiting domestic producers but increasing prices for consumers due to what is described as the "redistributive" effect of tariffs. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed significant tariffs on imports, including a "10-20 percent tariff on all imports, at least a 60 percent tariff on Chinese imports, and a 25-100 percent tariff on Mexican imports."

Auchincloss is currently serving his second term representing Massachusetts' 4th District. According to his House biography, he is part of both the Committee for Transportation and Infrastructure and the Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and China.