On Tuesday morning, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Robert Lighthizer to serve as the next U.S. Trade Representative. CPA supports the nomination and pledged to work with Mr. Lighthizer to improve US trade policy.
“Ambassador Lighthizer is an excellent choice to replace Michael Froman as the US Trade Representative,” said Michael Stumo, CEO of CPA. “He understands that international trade is a strategic game of conflicting national interests and a competition for good jobs and industries. America must move past the failed and simplistic Econ 101 trade policy of the past because the results have been an economic carpet bombing of the non-urban areas of the US.”
Lighthizer is a prominent trade attorney and former deputy USTR under President Ronald Reagan. His views on trade are similar to ours and can be seen in his testimony before the U.S.- China Economic and Security Review Commission where he states his lament about the “remarkably passive” U.S. response to China’s “mercantilist” trade practices.
We now have ten years’ worth of data to show what happened after permanent trade relations [with China] was approved. It is appropriate to consider whether the promises made at the time have been fulfilled. Unfortunately, the evidence demonstrates that they have not:
1. The economic benefits promised by PNTR supporters have not materialized. In fact, the U.S. trade deficit with China almost tripled from 2000 to 2009, and millions of U.S. manufacturing jobs have been lost.
2. China’s commitment to the rule of law is very much in doubt, and the U.S. government continues to express major concerns about China’s failure to respect U.S. IPR.
3. Chinese mercantilism has had devastating effects on the U.S. economy.
“We are confident that the combination of Lighthizer, Peter Navarro (head of the National Trade Council) and Wilbur Ross (Secretary of Commerce designee) will be effective in working to balance trade, achieving net creation of good jobs, and growing a diverse manufacturing supply chains here,” continued Stumo.
The Coalition for a Prosperous America is a nonprofit organization representing the interests of 2.7 million households through our agricultural, manufacturing and labor members.
Contact: Paola Masman, Media Director
202-688-5145 ext 2, [email protected]
