Friday, 12^th May 2017

Ambassador Robert Lighthizer confirmed as U.S. Trade Representative

The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, a critical position tasked with fulfilling the Administration’s trade objectives including a renegotiation of NAFTA and future trade agreements. The administration has had to wait for Lighthizer to be in place before triggering the formal process to begin renegotiating NAFTA though it is not clear the Administration will now immediately begin that process.

Ambassador Lighthizer, 69, worked for decades as a trade lawyer, representing clients including U.S. Steel Corp. He served as a deputy USTR under Ronald Reagan and has political experience from his time as a senior aide to former Senate Finance Committee Chairman Bob Dole.

Donald Trump has made tackling trade deficits and bringing back U.S. jobs from overseas a key focus of his economic agenda. His administration has also promised to more strictly enforce existing trade rules, a task which Ambassador Lighthizer will be responsible for alongside Wilbur Ross, Commerce Secretary and Gary Cohn, Director of the National Economic Council.

The Chapters of the British-American Business Council welcome the confirmation of Ambassador Robert Lighthizer as the new U.S. Trade Representative. Ambassador Lighthizer brings leadership and experience to the Office of U.S. Trade Representative and its task of shaping a fair and competitive US trade policy. We have a proud history of working with USTR on US trade issues and we look forward to collaborating and offering our assistance to USTR Lighthizer and his team to build on and strengthen the crucial transatlantic trade relationship.