By the authority vested in the President of the United States, a further amendment has been made to duties addressing the synthetic opioid supply chain originating from the People's Republic of China (PRC). This decision follows Executive Order 14195, which was issued on February 1, 2025. The order identified a significant threat to national security due to the influx of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl from China.
The President has invoked powers under several U.S. laws, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act, to impose tariffs on products from China. These measures are part of an effort to address what is seen as an extraordinary threat stemming largely from outside the United States.
According to section 3 of Executive Order 14195, it was determined that China has not taken sufficient steps to mitigate this crisis through cooperative enforcement actions. Consequently, section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195 has been amended to increase tariffs from "10 percent" to "20 percent."
The new order includes provisions clarifying that it does not affect existing legal authorities or functions related to budgetary or legislative proposals by executive departments or agencies. It also states that this order will be implemented in accordance with applicable laws and subject to funding availability. Importantly, it specifies that no new rights or benefits are created for any party against the United States or its entities.
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 3, 2025.
