U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer slammed the Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, telling Congress that the nation’s biggest business lobby was largely to blame for problems with America’s trade policy.
When Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., pointed out to Lighthizer during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing that many major business associations such as the Chamber oppose the administration’s trade agenda, Lighthizer responded that he didn’t see that as an indictment of the policy.
“Of course we are going to have different policies from the Chamber of Commerce. Their policies [are] what have gotten us $800 billion worth of trade deficits. So, of course, we are going to have unconventional policies if we are going to have different result. If we do exactly the same thing nothing is going to change,” the trade representative said.
“This is an unsustainable trade deficit. We have a $560 billion goods and services trade deficit. We have a deficit with China which can’t go on. It’s $375 billion. We are going to do things differently? Absolutely! I personally believe that the people who voted for the president, voted for him because they don’t want it to be exactly like half of these [business] groups want it to be.”
The Chamber of Commerce has opposed most of the Trump administration’s trade agenda. It has argued that the North American Free Trade Agreement has worked well for the nation and urged President Trump to not pull out of it. It also has criticized the administration’s decision to enact tariffs on steel and aluminum, arguing they will do more harm to the economy than good.
