China's narcotics control authorities have long regarded the regulation of precursor chemicals as a fundamental measure to curb production of contraband both at home and abroad, keeping strict checks on suspicious transactions and tracing their sources to nip risks in the bud.

China on Monday began requiring export licenses for 13 precursor chemicals shipped to the US, Mexico, and Canada, in a move seen as part of ongoing tensions with Washington over fentanyl production and trafficking, state media reported.

In collaboration with China, President Donald Trump has effectively “shut off the pipeline that creates fentanyl,” FBI Director Patel says.

One of President Donald Trump’s first-day pledges upon taking office was to secure the U.S. border — a goal that includes tackling the nation’s ongoing drug smu

For many years, the Cabrera Sarabia family worked alongside the Sinaloa Cartel, but their direct connection to Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada strengthened after the arrest and extradition of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

China added more than a dozen fentanyl precursors to a list of controlled exports to the US, Mexico and Canada, in an apparent move to implement commitments made in a trade deal reached between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump last month.

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced on Monday that it will further tighten export controls on precursor chemicals by adding the US, Mexico, and Canada to the list of specific countries and regions requiring special export licenses for specific precursor chemicals.