Trump Names India, China, Pakistan Among 23 Major Illicit-Drug-Producing Or Transit Nations

US President Donald Trump has identified India, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan among 23 nations he says are either major producers of illicit drugs or key transit hubs for narcotics, in what his administration called a growing threat to American lives.

In a "Presidential Determination" submitted to Congress on Monday, Trump listed countries ranging from Afghanistan and Mexico to smaller Caribbean states like the Bahamas and Belize. Five countries — Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela — were singled out as having "failed demonstrably" to make substantial efforts in countering the drug trade.

"These nations, by manufacturing and trafficking illicit drugs and precursor chemicals, are threatening the safety of the United States and its citizens," the State Department said in a statement. It clarified, however, that a country’s inclusion on the so-called 'Major's List' does not necessarily reflect its level of cooperation or the strength of its counternarcotics measures, but rather the geographic and economic factors that enable such activity.

On China, Trump was particularly sharp, describing it as the world’s largest source of precursor chemicals that fuel fentanyl production. He accused Beijing of also driving epidemics of synthetic narcotics like nitazenes and methamphetamine, saying Chinese leaders "can and must take stronger and sustained action".

Afghanistan also drew strong criticism, with Trump accusing the Taliban of profiting from drug revenues despite its declared ban on narcotics. He said the country remains a hub for methamphetamine production and opium stockpiling, with proceeds funding transnational crime and terrorism.

India and Pakistan were included among major transit and production hubs, though Washington acknowledged that presence on the list does not automatically equate to a failure in enforcement.

Trump linked the drug trade directly to America’s worsening opioid crisis, calling trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids a "national emergency." The substances are the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 44, he noted.

The designation could add pressure on New Delhi, which has in recent years stepped up monitoring of precursor chemicals and tightened its narcotics control framework, but remains under scrutiny as a growing market and transit point in the global drug supply chain.

(With PTI inputs)