Trump says Canada tariffs would fight fentanyl trafficking, but little comes in across northern border, officials say

President Trump has said part of his motivation for imposing now-paused tariffs on Canada was to force the country to crack down on illicit fentanyl trafficking — but very little of the synthetic opioid enters the U.S. through its northern border. 

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the tariffs, announced Feb. 1 on Mexico, Canada and China, were “for the illegal fentanyl they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country.” Mr. Trump said in a statement that it was “because of the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our Citizens, including fentanyl.”   

The 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada have been paused for at least one month following negotiations, while a 10% tariff on China remains in place.

The tariffs were also meant to compel the countries to take further action to stop undocumented immigrants from entering the U.S. and to narrow their trade surplus. 

Here’s what to know about fentanyl and other drug trafficking over the United States’ northern border. 

How much fentanyl is seized at Canadian border?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized just 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last year, according to statistics released publicly by the agency. Meanwhile, about 21,100 pounds of fentanyl were seized at the Mexican border. 

Drug policy researcher Jonathan Caulkins conducted an analysis looking at large fentanyl seizures — those of more than a kilogram of powder or of 1,000 pills or more — and found such incidents in just two counties bordering Canada. One county is home to the city of Detroit, and Caulkins said the drug seizures conducted there are proportionate to its population. Only one area —Whatcom County, Washington — had an amount of drug seizures disproportionate to its population, Caulkins said.

In general, Canada sees far fewer overdose deaths involving fentanyl than the United States. 

About 49,100 people died from opioid overdoses in Canada between 2016 and 2024, with most of those deaths involving fentanyl, Canadian officials said. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated there were more than 74,000 fentanyl-related deaths in 2023 alone.  

How is fentanyl entering the United States? 

Most fentanyl enters the United States through Mexico, CBS News has previously reported. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has said Mexican cartels are “at the heart” of the United States’ fentanyl crisis. 

Caulkins’ analysis found 21 large fentanyl seizures along the Mexican border for every such seizure along the Canadian border. 

Often, illicit drugs are transported over the southern border by U.S. citizens passing through CBP checkpoints, Caulkins said. The U.S. citizens are usually hired by smuggler groups, which have in turn been hired by cartels and drug manufacturers. 

“In general, it’s not like it’s a Sinaloa cartel employee walking across the border,” Caulkins said. U.S. citizens are less likely to be seen as suspicious, he said, and they face fewer obstacles during the actual border crossing. 

Precursor chemicals at the border 

Precursor chemicals, or the ingredients used to make illicit drugs, have been seized in both Canada and Mexico, as well as within the United States. Precursor chemicals are largely manufactured in China and shipped overseas, usually to Mexico. The fentanyl is then produced, again typically in Mexico, and brought into the United States for distribution. 

In recent weeks, Mexican authorities have announced several major seizures of chemical precursors and fentanyl.

In November 2024, Canadian police said they had dismantled the most sophisticated drug “super lab” that they had ever seen in the country. They said they seized a “massive” amount of precursor chemicals from the facility in British Columbia, as well as 54 kilograms, or about 110 pounds, of fentanyl, along with other drugs. 

Police said they believed the lab was a mass production site where fentanyl and methamphetamine were made so they could be distributed in Canada and internationally. Officials did not say what countries the drugs may have been exported to. 

In December 2024, Canada said its health agency would create a “Chemical Precursor Risk Management Unit” that could “provide better insight into” the chemicals and their distribution channels. The unit would also be able to “enhance monitoring and surveillance” and allow for “timely law enforcement action” in connection to these chemicals. The unit was just one of several ways Canada said it would be fighting the fentanyl crisis. 

Health Canada is also set to accelerate its regulatory process for banning precursors “so that border and law enforcement can take swift action to prevent their illegal importation and use.”