In a significant update to U.S. foreign drug policy, former U.S. President Donald Trump named Afghanistan, India, China, and Pakistan among 23 countries identified as major drug transit or illicit drug producing countries. This annual determination, submitted to the U.S. Congress, forms part of Washington’s global strategy to combat drug trafficking and limit the flow of narcotics into the United States.

This development brings renewed attention to how international drug trade routes operate and the role certain countries—willingly or not—play in facilitating the supply of narcotics or their precursor chemicals.

Why These Countries Are Named

Under U.S. law, the president must annually identify nations that are either significant producers of illicit drugs or serve as key transit route

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