Donald Trump is expected to tap Robert Lighthizer, a lawyer who served as deputy trade representative under President Ronald Reagan, as head of the U.S. Trade Representative office, a person with knowledge of the decision said Monday.
The office of the U.S. Trade Representative oversees trade negotiations, creates international trade and investment policy, and represents American interests at the World Trade Organization. As a partner at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Lighthizer has extensive experience with trade litigation and giving policy advice to major U.S. corporations. Two other people were considered for the position, Bloomberg Politics reports: Jovita Carranza, deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration under President George W. Bush and a onetime executive with UPS, and Dan DiMicco, the former head of Nucor Corp.
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