India, China and Pakistan are among 23 countries identified by Trump as major drug-transit or illicit drug-producing countries for fiscal year 2027.
Trump separately praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to tackle illicit opium poppy cultivation and said he wanted continued India-US cooperation on drug policy.
Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma and Colombia were separately identified as having “failed demonstrably” to make substantial counternarcotics efforts — a finding that does not apply to India, China or Pakistan.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday identified India, China and Pakistan among 23 major drug transit and illicit drug producing countries and urged their respective leaders to address the issue.
In a Presidential Determination to the US Congress, Trump also made it clear that appearing on the list was not necessarily a reflection of the respective government’s current counterdrug efforts, or coordination with the United States.
What Does The US Drug List Mean?
The annual presidential determination is made under US law and identifies countries that the US considers major drug-transit or illicit drug-producing countries. The State Department has previously clarified that appearing on the list is not necessarily an adverse reflection of a country's counternarcotics efforts or its cooperation with Washington.
Under the statutory framework, a major drug-producing country can include one where illicit cultivation or production reaches specified thresholds, while a major drug-transit country can be one that serves as a significant direct source of illicit narcotics affecting the US or through which such drugs are transported.
It said countries are placed on the list due to a combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs or precursor chemicals to transit or be produced, even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control and law enforcement measures.
Why Are India, Pakistan And Afghanistan On The List?
India's inclusion comes despite Trump's acknowledgement of New Delhi's efforts against illicit opium cultivation. A report on the latest determination said Trump welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to curb illicit opium poppy cultivation while continuing to identify India as a major drug-transit or illicit drug-producing country.
“I welcome Prime Minister Modi and the Government of India’s efforts to address illicit opium poppy cultivation and bolster supply chain integrity. I look forward to continued cooperation through the United States-India Drug Policy Framework,” Trump said in the Presidential Determination that was made public on Wednesday.
US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor said in a post on X, “Prime Minister Modi has done a remarkable job fighting illicit drugs, and the United States applauds his efforts! Our two nations will continue combatting drugs together.”
The other major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries identified are Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
Trump also highlighted the "historic progress" made by his administration in tackling drug trafficking and narcoterrorist organisations.
He pointed to tighter border security, lower drug seizures and a decline in overdose deaths as evidence of the progress.
Trump claimed drug seizures along the US southern border had dropped by more than half after what he called four years of "open border chaos".
He also said drug overdose deaths had "plunged" and claimed that the administration had saved tens of thousands of American lives.
“After four years of open border chaos, seizures of fentanyl and other drugs being smuggled into the United States have been reduced by more than half, and drug overdose deaths have plunged,” Trump said.
He urged China to take stronger action to stem the flow of precursor chemicals used to produce fentanyl, methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs.
“The PRC continues to be the world’s largest producer of many of the precursor chemicals used to illicitly produce fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other deadly synthetic drugs,” Trump said, referring to China by its official designation, the People's Republic of China.
Trump said he had raised the issue directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping and noted that Beijing had introduced licensing requirements last year for companies exporting designated precursor chemicals to North America.
