Wiley Petitions USTR to Address China’s Role in Fentanyl Crisis with Section 301 Petition

October 18, 2024

Washington, DC –Wiley has filed a petition under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on behalf of Facing Fentanyl and affected families seeking to address the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) acts, policies, and practices related to its exports of illicit fentanyl to the United States.

The petition alleges that the PRC government is actively supporting the production and export of illicit fentanyl products to the United States, and has failed to implement sufficient legal measures to prevent such exports. As a result, the petition urges USTR to initiate an investigation into the PRC’s acts, policies, and practices; seek consultation with the PRC government to address these issues; and consider imposing countermeasures.

“The USTR is uniquely positioned to hold the PRC accountable for its role in the fentanyl crisis, which has claimed the lives of over 400,000 Americans,” said Wiley National Security Practice chair Hon. Nazak Nikakhtar. “By investigating the PRC’s unjustified and unreasonable acts, policies, and practices, and through potential economic countermeasures, USTR can compel the PRC government to stop the exports of illicit fentanyl to the United States, which costs the American people more than a trillion dollars annually.”

The USTR now has 45 days to determine whether to initiate an investigation pursuant to the Trade Act.

Read the Petition here and Fact Sheet here.