U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer: ‘We’re Not Starting a Trade War at All’ with China

Ingraham Just hours ago ░░░░░░░░ Trump touched down in ░░░░░░░░ Hawaii making a stopover ░░░░░░░░ part of his 12 ░░░░░░░░ to Asia He was ░░░░░░░░ elected on his promise ░░░░░░░░ renegotiate trade deals that ░░░░░░░░ really hurt American workers ░░░░░░░░ such one of the ░░░░░░░░ important jobs in the ░░░░░░░░ Administration and especially on ░░░░░░░░ presidential tour of Asia ░░░░░░░░ the U S Trade ░░░░░░░░ The man who currently ░░░░░░░░ that job is ambassador ░░░░░░░░ Lighthizer He sat down ░░░░░░░░ me for a rare ░░░░░░░░ yesterday at the White ░░░░░░░░ Ambassador Lighthizer great to ░░░░░░░░ you I know you ░░░░░░░░ giving interviews so thank ░░░░░░░░ so much for spending ░░░░░░░░ time Laughter Ingraham You ░░░░░░░░ off to Asia it ░░░░░░░░ a big trip It ░░░░░░░░ the longest trip the ░░░░░░░░ has ever taken since ░░░░░░░░ was inaugurated What s ░░░░░░░░ goal LIGHTHIZER This is ░░░░░░░░ very important trip it ░░░░░░░░ two elements One is ░░░░░░░░ Geo politics And the ░░░░░░░░ is trade and economic ░░░░░░░░ I m obviously concerned ░░░░░░░░ the second We re ░░░░░░░░ to Japan to Korea ░░░░░░░░ China to Vietnam and ░░░░░░░░ Philippines That would be ░░░░░░░░ billion dollar deficit 27 ░░░░░░░░ dollar deficit 350 billion ░░░░░░░░ deficit 32 billion dollar ░░░░░░░░ and in the Philippines ░░░░░░░░ don t have a ░░░░░░░░ of trade with we ░░░░░░░░ essentially balanced trade on ░░░░░░░░ small volume there are ░░░░░░░░ lot of economic issues ░░░░░░░░ lot of trade issues ░░░░░░░░ biggest one of course ░░░░░░░░ China Ingraham Purely on ░░░░░░░░ China front what can ░░░░░░░░ do other than impose ░░░░░░░░ to stop the Chinese ░░░░░░░░ on international trade whether ░░░░░░░░ s dumping whether it ░░░░░░░░ subsidies of major corporations ░░░░░░░░ products for under market ░░░░░░░░ LIGHTHIZER I mean we ░░░░░░░░ to have a coordinated ░░░░░░░░ within the administration I ░░░░░░░░ we do First of ░░░░░░░░ the geo politics is ░░░░░░░░ else s problems I ░░░░░░░░ going to focus very ░░░░░░░░ on working men and ░░░░░░░░ and farmers That s ░░░░░░░░ I was hired to ░░░░░░░░ That s what I ░░░░░░░░ going to worry about ░░░░░░░░ has an industrial policy ░░░░░░░░ involves a lot of ░░░░░░░░ a lot of dumping ░░░░░░░░ lot of forced technology ░░░░░░░░ All these sorts of ░░░░░░░░ What have we done ░░░░░░░░ have you dumping Case ░░░░░░░░ 301 looks at the ░░░░░░░░ property transfer Ingraham They ░░░░░░░░ Cold War era relic ░░░░░░░░ quote free traders criticize ░░░░░░░░ and the administration for ░░░░░░░░ this outdated federal statute ░░░░░░░░ go after China LIGHTHIZER ░░░░░░░░ s a very effective ░░░░░░░░ We ll use the ░░░░░░░░ when we can The ░░░░░░░░ is willing to act ░░░░░░░░ when he has to ░░░░░░░░ say it s Cold ░░░░░░░░ era Ronald Reagan used ░░░░░░░░ and used it very ░░░░░░░░ and made a big ░░░░░░░░ for our trade policy ░░░░░░░░ lot of people benefited ░░░░░░░░ it we will use ░░░░░░░░ tool we can as ░░░░░░░░ as it s fair ░░░░░░░░ consistent with law Ingraham ░░░░░░░░ has something called their ░░░░░░░░ project It s their ░░░░░░░░ to dominate every major ░░░░░░░░ from 3 d printing ░░░░░░░░ rare Earth To heavy ░░░░░░░░ tool manufacturing It s ░░░░░░░░ ambitious Is it just ░░░░░░░░ of pie in the ░░░░░░░░ thinking or is there ░░░░░░░░ real opportunity for China ░░░░░░░░ dominate all those industries ░░░░░░░░ It s a very ░░░░░░░░ serious challenge Not just ░░░░░░░░ U S but to ░░░░░░░░ Japan and the global ░░░░░░░░ system And basically it ░░░░░░░░ very focused The areas ░░░░░░░░ talked about but also ░░░░░░░░ on new energy vehicles ░░░░░░░░ mean they want to ░░░░░░░░ on top of all ░░░░░░░░ high tech all the ░░░░░░░░ edge economic areas And ░░░░░░░░ s smart for them ░░░░░░░░ do it They are ░░░░░░░░ something that s in ░░░░░░░░ interest and that they ░░░░░░░░ do We should be ░░░░░░░░ a position defend ourselves ░░░░░░░░ the same amount of ░░░░░░░░ I think this president ░░░░░░░░ do that that is ░░░░░░░░ general genuine threat Massive ░░░░░░░░ closed markets and focus ░░░░░░░░ technology transfer It s ░░░░░░░░ very very serious threat ░░░░░░░░ all of those areas ░░░░░░░░ if you go through ░░░░░░░░ parts of our economy ░░░░░░░░ are affected by it ░░░░░░░░ s hard to find ░░░░░░░░ kind of a tech ░░░░░░░░ that s not potentially ░░░░░░░░ affected by This Ingraham ░░░░░░░░ is a split in ░░░░░░░░ party There has been ░░░░░░░░ a long time But ░░░░░░░░ Trump came along it ░░░░░░░░ Buchanan and Ross Perot ░░░░░░░░ Mike Huckabee and Rick ░░░░░░░░ the blue collar conservatives ░░░░░░░░ you have any doubt ░░░░░░░░ your mind about Trump ░░░░░░░░ because of his position ░░░░░░░░ part on immigration and ░░░░░░░░ part on trade Would ░░░░░░░░ won Pennsylvania or Ohio ░░░░░░░░ you think if he ░░░░░░░░ t have that focus ░░░░░░░░ the American worker LIGHTHIZER ░░░░░░░░ think he focused on ░░░░░░░░ we used to call ░░░░░░░░ Democrats And now they ░░░░░░░░ really Trump Democrats They ░░░░░░░░ working member and women ░░░░░░░░ they are farmers I ░░░░░░░░ he focused on them ░░░░░░░░ think he is very ░░░░░░░░ This is a man ░░░░░░░░ goes out there and ░░░░░░░░ what is is happening ░░░░░░░░ these people in their ░░░░░░░░ He cares very deeply ░░░░░░░░ that I think was ░░░░░░░░ major major effect One ░░░░░░░░ the two or three ░░░░░░░░ most important things And ░░░░░░░░ think he believes that ░░░░░░░░ think he is going ░░░░░░░░ deliver on his promises ░░░░░░░░ will change this paradigm ░░░░░░░░ We need the market ░░░░░░░░ We need the certainty ░░░░░░░░ we can t operate ░░░░░░░░ you say LIGHTHIZER What ░░░░░░░░ really saying we need ░░░░░░░░ certainty so we can ░░░░░░░░ in Mexico Ingraham We ░░░░░░░░ certainty to outsource LIGHTHIZER ░░░░░░░░ reaction to that is ░░░░░░░░ s not my job ░░░░░░░░ job is trying to ░░░░░░░░ manufacturing jobs in America ░░░░░░░░ put upward pressure on ░░░░░░░░ s wages Many of ░░░░░░░░ workers haven t had ░░░░░░░░ raise in 10 years ░░░░░░░░ deserve a break The ░░░░░░░░ thing we should be ░░░░░░░░ would be ensuring guarantees ░░░░░░░░ investments in another market ░░░░░░░░ makes no sense By ░░░░░░░░ way in the case ░░░░░░░░ automobiles 80 of those ░░░░░░░░ 80 are ships back ░░░░░░░░ America Ingraham So they ░░░░░░░░ manufactured in Mexico shingsd ░░░░░░░░ with no tariff LIGHTHIZER ░░░░░░░░ here with no tariff ░░░░░░░░ Are you stunned at ░░░░░░░░ point that after the ░░░░░░░░ wins after Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ in November of last ░░░░░░░░ almost a year ago ░░░░░░░░ are still seeing the ░░░░░░░░ arguments made in the ░░░░░░░░ Street Journal by the ░░░░░░░░ of commerce by the ░░░░░░░░ Institute that he is ░░░░░░░░ in a protectionist manner ░░░░░░░░ he is trying to ░░░░░░░░ up walls to trade ░░░░░░░░ to people and the ░░░░░░░░ market Free flow of ░░░░░░░░ and services is going ░░░░░░░░ be hurt Consumers are ░░░░░░░░ to be hurt the ░░░░░░░░ aggressively we pursue this ░░░░░░░░ enforcement They are still ░░░░░░░░ those arguments LIGHTHIZER If ░░░░░░░░ say enterprise no Those ░░░░░░░░ have worked well for ░░░░░░░░ for years and years ░░░░░░░░ years and years Here ░░░░░░░░ the reality Of the ░░░░░░░░ wants markets The president ░░░░░░░░ open fair reciprocal balanced ░░░░░░░░ but we don t ░░░░░░░░ that everybody knows that ░░░░░░░░ the question is what ░░░░░░░░ you do Do you ░░░░░░░░ a rabbit s foot ░░░░░░░░ your fingers Make the ░░░░░░░░ of the cross Do ░░░░░░░░ or do you have ░░░░░░░░ strategy where you are ░░░░░░░░ to use every tool ░░░░░░░░ has to ensure that ░░░░░░░░ workers and our farmers ░░░░░░░░ a fair shake Ingraham ░░░░░░░░ when they say you ░░░░░░░░ going to start a ░░░░░░░░ war you say LIGHTHIZER ░░░░░░░░ are not starting a ░░░░░░░░ war at all We ░░░░░░░░ exactly the same objective ░░░░░░░░ the chamber of commerce ░░░░░░░░ the same objective The ░░░░░░░░ is how do we ░░░░░░░░ there We tried it ░░░░░░░░ way for 25 years ░░░░░░░░ at least 1995 We ░░░░░░░░ it their way All ░░░░░░░░ am saying is let ░░░░░░░░ try a different route ░░░░░░░░ a little bit The ░░░░░░░░ of their way I ░░░░░░░░ suggest is a 750 ░░░░░░░░ dollar goods deficit And ░░░░░░░░ goods and services deficit ░░░░░░░░ 500 billion I mean ░░░░░░░░ are staggering numbers We ░░░░░░░░ to try something else ░░░░░░░░ think we are going ░░░░░░░░ end up with more ░░░░░░░░ We will end up ░░░░░░░░ more global wealth It ░░░░░░░░ going to be fine ░░░░░░░░ businesses but most importantly ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ for American workers and ░░░░░░░░ farmers who need a ░░░░░░░░ And part of this ░░░░░░░░ trade idea this whole ░░░░░░░░ contract is that we ░░░░░░░░ fair trade in return ░░░░░░░░ open markets And that ░░░░░░░░ what all the workers ░░░░░░░░ into And now they ░░░░░░░░ haven t got it ░░░░░░░░ with this president I ░░░░░░░░ they are going to ░░░░░░░░ it Ingraham Tell me ░░░░░░░░ the president s leadership ░░░░░░░░ on this particular issue ░░░░░░░░ On at least my ░░░░░░░░ he knows the stuff ░░░░░░░░ if you look at ░░░░░░░░ life 30 years you ░░░░░░░░ back he will say ░░░░░░░░ the same thing thing ░░░░░░░░ said 20 years ago ░░░░░░░░ years ago It s ░░░░░░░░ Ingraham Ambassador thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for spending some ░░░░░░░░ LIGHTHIZER It is my ░░░░░░░░