President Donald Trump has named China, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan amongst 23 main drug transit or main illicit drug producing international locations, saying that by manufacturing and trafficking illicit medication and precursor chemical compounds, these nations are threatening the protection of the U.S. and its residents.

In a ‘Presidential Determination’ submitted to Congress on Monday (September 15, 2025), Mr. Trump stated he has recognized 23 international locations as “main drug transit or main illicit drug producing” nations.

These nations are Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

Mr. Trump delivered the “Major’s List” to Congress, designating these international locations as chargeable for sourcing and transporting illicit medication into the U.S., the White House stated.

The State Department introduced the Presidential Determination of those 23 international locations, with 5 international locations — Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela — listed as having “failed demonstrably to make substantial efforts,” calling upon them to enhance their counternarcotics efforts.

By manufacturing and trafficking illicit medication and precursor chemical compounds, these international locations are threatening the protection of the United States and its residents, the State Department stated in an announcement.

The State Department clarified {that a} nation’s presence on the record doesn’t essentially replicate its authorities’s counterdrug efforts or degree of cooperation with the United States.

The itemizing relies on “the mix of geographic, industrial, and financial components that permit medication or precursor chemical compounds to be transited or produced, even when a authorities has engaged in strong and diligent narcotics management and legislation enforcement measures,” it stated.

Mr. Trump stated Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela have failed “demonstrably” through the earlier 12 months to each adhere to their obligations beneath worldwide counternarcotics agreements and to take the related measures to fight the menace.

On China, Mr. Trump stated the nation’s function because the “world’s largest supply” of precursor chemical compounds fuelling illicit fentanyl manufacturing has been effectively documented.

Mr. Trump additionally stated that China can also be a serious provider fuelling international epidemics of different artificial narcotics, together with nitazenes and methamphetamine.

The Chinese management “can and should take stronger and sustained motion to chop down these chemical flows and prosecute the drug criminals facilitating them.”

On Afghanistan, Mr. Trump stated that regardless of the Taliban’s introduced ban on unlawful medication, drug stockpiles and ongoing manufacturing — together with increasing manufacturing of methamphetamine — have sustained the movement of medicine to worldwide markets.

“Revenue from this drug commerce funds transnational prison teams and helps worldwide terrorists. Some members of the Taliban proceed to revenue from this commerce, and I’m as soon as once more designating Afghanistan as having failed demonstrably to uphold its drug management obligations given the intense threats to United States pursuits and worldwide safety,” Mr. Trump stated.

He stated that transnational organised crime’s trafficking of fentanyl and different lethal illicit medication into the US has created a nationwide emergency, together with a public well being disaster that continues to be the main explanation for dying for Americans ages 18 to 44.