JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
President Donald Trump today delayed new tariffs on automobiles, but other tariffs against goods from Canada, China and Mexico are now in effect. Trump continues to link these tariffs to fentanyl and overdose deaths, including in his speech to Congress last night and again on social media today. But many of his statements about the fentanyl crisis are not true. NPR addiction correspondent Brian Mann joins us now. Hi, Brian.
BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: Hi, Juana.
SUMMERS: Brian, fentanyl has been a big public health crisis in the U.S. How does President Trump link that to trade and tariffs?
MANN: So Trump argues that these three big trade partners - Canada, China and Mexico - are also key players in fentanyl smuggling. And last night, he specifically singled out Canada and Mexico.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They've allowed fentanyl to come into our country at levels never seen before, killing hundreds of thousands of our citizens and many very young, beautiful people, destroying families.
MANN: And Trump said on social media that he spoke again with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today and told him Canada has weak border policies and has to do more to stop drug smugglers.
SUMMERS: Let me ask you this, does Canada play a big part in the fentanyl crisis?
MANN: No. And, Juana, this is really where Trump's statements clearly aren't factual. Experts all say Canada is responsible for almost no street fentanyl entering the U.S. In a speech yesterday, Trudeau spoke directly to Trump's accusation.
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PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU: Well, that is totally false. Far less than 1% of fentanyl flows and less than 1% of illegal crossings into the United States comes from Canada.
MANN: President Trump says he simply doesn't believe that. Writing on social media, he claimed without providing evidence that Canadian policies are responsible for the deaths of many people in the U.S. It's not clear now what Canadians can do about this fentanyl issue given that the amount coming across the northern border appears close to zero.
SUMMERS: Brian, what about Mexico?
MANN: Yeah, this piece is more complicated. Experts generally agree Mexican officials allowed drug cartels to grow for years with very little law enforcement pressure. Fentanyl from Mexican drug labs contributed to tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the U.S. since this crisis began. And speaking last night, President Trump said tariff pressure is forcing Mexico to do more.
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TRUMP: Mexican authorities, because of our tariff policies being imposed on them - think of this - handed over to us 29 of the biggest cartel leaders in their country. That has never happened before. They want to make us happy.
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MANN: And, Juana, that was a major blow to the cartels and a real win for the Trump administration.
SUMMERS: What does the Mexican government have to say about the fentanyl problem?
MANN: Yeah, so what they say is that they've been ramping up their cooperation with the U.S. against the cartels since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office last year, working with the Biden administration and then more closely with the Trump administration. Speaking yesterday, Sheinbaum said U.S. tariffs are misguided given how much progress is being made.
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PRESIDENT CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM: (Through interpreter) We have been working and delivering results in the area of safety. For example, in the case of fentanyl trafficking, the data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection alone show that fentanyl seizures in the U.S. coming from Mexico have gone down by 50%.
MANN: Chinese officials, too, Juana, say they've stepped up drug interdiction efforts dramatically, and it seems to be helping. Drug deaths are down 25% in the U.S. All these countries say they're going to retaliate with tariffs of their own.
SUMMERS: NPR addiction correspondent Brian Mann. Thank you.
MANN: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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