Unlikely protectionist group seeks to counter Chamber on trade and tariffs

Most business coalitions have been cool, and sometimes even hostile, to President Trump’s trade agenda. One group, however, has helped to steer those the moves: the Coalition for a Prosperous America. The business and labor group formed a decade ago to be the counterweight to the much larger Chamber of Commerce and has found its voice in the Trump era.

It has the ear of the administration. Dan DiMicco, the group’s chairman and the former chairman of Nucor Steel, was appointed to Trump’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations last year, a transition team. He was also considered for the position of U.S. trade representative, though ultimately Robert Lighthizer was tapped instead.