China and Canada bolster joint fight against fentanyl trafficking after Ottawa talks
China and Canada agreed in Ottawa to deepen intelligence sharing and law enforcement coordination to combat cross-border synthetic drug trafficking.
Ottawa talks yield new commitments on cross-border drug control
China and Canada have agreed to deepen intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation to combat transnational synthetic drug trafficking, global.chinadaily.com.cn reports, citing a statement issued Wednesday by the office of China's National Narcotics Control Commission.
The talks, held Tuesday in Ottawa, brought together officials from the Narcotics Control Bureau of China's Ministry of Public Security and representatives of Public Safety Canada, Health Canada, the Department of Finance Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency.
Delegations reviewed developments in the synthetic drug market, exchanged information on drug scheduling and regulatory controls, and discussed ways to strengthen oversight of financial and commercial systems to disrupt transnational trafficking networks.
Both sides flagged the emergence of new psychoactive substances and the growing exploitation of international shipping and parcel delivery channels by traffickers. They agreed to maintain regular communications, deepen intelligence sharing and operational coordination, and cooperate in global drug control efforts.
Ahead of the formal talks, a Narcotics Control Bureau official also held separate discussions with Canada's fentanyl czar.
Groundwork laid since January
The Ottawa meeting builds on commitments made during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to China in January. A joint statement issued on January 16 pledged stronger law enforcement cooperation to combat transnational crimes including synthetic drug trafficking, corruption, and telecom and cyber fraud. The two governments also agreed to continue annual meetings under a bilateral law enforcement cooperation working group, with counternarcotics dialogue forming a key component.
During Carney's visit, China's Ministry of Public Security and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police signed a memorandum of understanding on combating crime. Further discussions followed in July, when officials convened the third China-Canada high-level dialogue on national security and the rule of law in Beijing, covering transnational crime, counterterrorism, drug control and immigration law enforcement cooperation.
Tightened precursor controls on both sides
Both countries have separately moved to restrict chemicals that can be diverted for illicit synthetic drug production.
China introduced export permit requirements in November 2025 for 13 fentanyl-related precursor chemicals destined for Canada, the United States and Mexico. Three additional chemicals were added in May and two more in September, bringing the total subject to permit requirements for exports to those three countries to 18. Chinese authorities also issued warnings in November 2025 and May urging businesses to verify customers and prevent sensitive chemicals and equipment from entering illicit manufacturing channels. Customs officials tightened export risk assessments, while postal regulators asked delivery companies to verify senders' identities, inspect parcels and conduct security screenings.
Canada has taken parallel steps. Health Canada announced permanent controls on five fentanyl precursor chemicals in March and operates a dedicated unit to oversee precursor chemicals and their distribution channels, while also monitoring illegal drug trends. In a recent official update on its response to the fentanyl crisis, the Canadian government cited China's expanded precursor export controls as part of broader international efforts to disrupt illegal drug supply chains.
Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)