Pushed by then-President Donald Trump, China agreed in late 2018 to crack down on shipments of finished fentanyl and some of its precursors. After that, more production moved to Mexico — with the raw materials still coming largely from China.
I imagine that even if China stops producing precursors, cartels will find a different source.
Seems like I was wrong.
Fentanyl is no longer primarily produced in China, it is now also being produced in Mexico after crackdown in China: https://apnews.com/article/biden-xi-fentanyl-agreement-mexico-china-opioids-1fa57facd0dbdac714b616d705952d92
I imagine that even if China stops producing precursors, cartels will find a different source.