Economics
Lighthizer Set to Defend Trump’s Rocky Path Toward Trade Nirvana
- USTR chief testifies twice today to congressional committees
- Trump’s China focus pushed production to Mexico, Vietnam
Robert Lighthizer
Photographer: Kevin Dietsch/UPI/Bloomberg
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It was a little over three years ago that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer spoke at a gala dinner in Washington attended by the leader of Vietnam and politely mentioned how a widening trade imbalance between the countries needed to be addressed.
“This concerning growth in our trade deficit presents new challenges and shows us that there is considerable potential to improve further our important trade relationship,” Lighthizer said at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce event in May 2017, just a few weeks after he was sworn in. “Prime Minister Phuc is uniquely positioned to help us achieve that objective.”