Trump asks Lighthizer, architect of US-China trade tariffs, for trade chief: report

Robert Lighthizer, who led then-US President and current President Donald Trump’s trade war against China more than six years ago, is set to resume his role as US trade representative in Trump’s new administration, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the Situation.

A strong supporter of tariffs as an effective tool to combat foreign subsidies and bolster American businesses, Lighthizer has been one of the most common names to come up in speculation about who Trump will select for key economic Cabinet positions. He was also considered a possible candidate for trade minister.

Since leaving office at the end of Trump’s first term, he has been actively involved in the debate over tariffs for years, publishing a book entitled No trading is free last year, in which he argued for an escalation of the trade tensions and tariff wars that characterized the Trump years.

In the book, Lighthizer argues for a “strategic decoupling” from China and suggests a major break with the world’s second-largest economy compared to the “risk reduction measures” pushed by U.S. President Joe Biden.

The goal, he said, should be to eliminate the trade deficit with China by lifting its normal trading status as well as through higher tariffs.

He also addressed the Wall Street Journal’s criticism of the tariffs.