The National Foreign Trade Council wants Robert Lighthizer confirmed as U.S. Trade Representative – ASAP.In a Feb. 23 letter to the Senate Finance Committee, the NFTC makes clear that its membership of more than 250 companies is getting impatient as the Trump administration embarks on a markedly new trade path without a USTR.”We urge the Committee on Finance to act quickly on this important nomination in order to ensure the smooth functioning of U.S. trade policy and the fulfillment of Congressionally mandated objectives in the trade arena,” state the letters, signed by NFTC president Rufus Yerxa.USTR, he writes, “plays a pivotal role within the U.S. Government to establish trade policy priorities and ensure their fulfillment through multilateral, regional and bilateral negotiations. It is also the vital link between Congress and the President in enabling both branches to work together in fulfilling their respective Constitutional roles to regulate international trade and negotiate trade agreements.”More:The centrality of USTR is deeply engrained in the whole legislative framework for U.S. trade policy. Without a strong leader at USTR, one who is able to attract a good team of Deputies and gain the respect of Cabinet peers, Congressional leaders and foreign governments, American leadership in world trade and the institutions related thereto will begin to erode.We recognize that your committee must have an opportunity to fully examine the qualifications and record of any nominee for this important position. However, we urge you to move as expeditiously as possible. He has a long record as an expert on trade matters, having served both as Deputy USTR and as trade law practitioner. His prior service as Staff Director of the Senate Finance Committee gave him an acute awareness of the absolutely essential role USTR plays in coordinating trade policy with the key Congressional committees. This will help to ensure respect for the mandates set forth under TPA and other legislative measures governing trade policy.”We are convinced that Ambassador Lighthizer has the qualifications and experience to be a highly successful USTR,” the NFTC letter concludes. “We sincerely hope the Committee can approve his nomination as soon as possible.”
