The United States has announced that the additional duty applied to imports from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) under the fentanyl-related national emergency authority will be reduced from 20% to 10%, effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on November 10, 2025. This modification, issued via Executive Order Modifying Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China (Nov. 2025), follows commitments by the PRC to strengthen controls on precursor chemicals used in fentanyl production and to curb illicit synthetic-opioid flows. The Order amends applicable provisions in Subchapter III, Chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to reflect the reduced rate.
The tariff was originally imposed at 10% under Executive Order 14195 (Feb. 1, 2025), which declared a national emergency in response to PRC-linked synthetic opioid trafficking, and subsequently increased to 20% via Executive Order 14228 (Mar. 3, 2025) after insufficient action by the PRC. The forthcoming reduction signals progress in bilateral discussions, while preserving authority to re-escalate duties should China fail to meet its enforcement commitments. Importers should prepare for the rate change and continue monitoring compliance developments as November 10 approaches.
Please feel free to contact one of our attorneys with any questions.
