Canadian-Made Fentanyl Increasingly Being Shipped Overseas: Global Affairs

Seized fentanyl is displayed during a press conference at BC RCMP Divisional Headquarters in Surrey, B.C., Feb. 23, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin

Fentanyl made in Canada by criminals is increasingly being shipped to international markets, according to a briefing note from Ottawa’s department of foreign affairs.

“Seizures of Canada-sourced fentanyl in places like the U.S. and Australia suggest that domestic production is likely exceeding domestic demand, and that Canada is now a source (and transit) country for fentanyl to some markets,” said the briefing note from June, which was first obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter.

The Canada Border Service Agency has noted an increase in seizures of fentanyl precursor chemicals within Canada, said the briefing document. This, combined with “seizures of clandestine laboratories in Canada,” indicates that fentanyl is being produced in Canada, it said.

The memo also noted that since 2015, China has been the largest source country for illegal fentanyl and chemical precursors exported to Canada and North America. Following China’s increased restrictions on fentanyl and its analogues in May 2019, there has been an increase in fentanyl precursors being exported to other countries, it said.

“China continues to be listed as the main source country for a variety of precursor chemicals intended for the illegal production of drugs in Canada and some illegal drugs smuggled into Canada,” says the memo.

The briefing note said China has signalled its willingness to work with Canada on countering narcotics, but it has framed such cooperation as a “bilateral ask” that would require Canada to give concessions. Canada has yet to formally request a bilateral working group with China on the issue.

The memo noted that the Chinese regime “views the opioid crisis as a ‘North American problem.'” It said that during a March 2024 meeting on the margins of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, China emphasized the importance of “cleaning up one’s own house first.”

The briefing note said since January 2016, more than 42,494 Canadians have died as a result of opioid-related overdoses. Between January and September 2023, there was an average of 22 overdose-related deaths per day, with 82 percent involving fentanyl.

According to the federal government, fentanyl is 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, making the risk of accidental overdose very high. It is often mixed with other drugs like heroin and cocaine and put in counterfeit pills made to look like prescription opioids.