Robert Lighthizer

And the – Jameson Greer of the USTR is looking at all these other things. But when we think of – The kind of migration for me, let me just say, was like, okay, we need free trade. And then you said, okay, we need fair trade. The reality is you can't get fair trade because there's too many ways to twist it. What we really need, I've evolved to, is balanced trade.

And the – Jameson Greer of the USTR is looking at all these other things. But when we think of – The kind of migration for me, let me just say, was like, okay, we need free trade. And then you said, okay, we need fair trade. The reality is you can't get fair trade because there's too many ways to twist it. What we really need, I've evolved to, is balanced trade.

We need a system that enforces kind of trade balance, not with countries, but globally. Countries shouldn't be able to be huge surplus countries year after year, like China, of course, being the worst example, but also Germany. Ireland is evolving to that. There's a bunch of other countries we could talk about. Countries shouldn't be able to do that. And so you say, well, how do you achieve that?

We need a system that enforces kind of trade balance, not with countries, but globally. Countries shouldn't be able to be huge surplus countries year after year, like China, of course, being the worst example, but also Germany. Ireland is evolving to that. There's a bunch of other countries we could talk about. Countries shouldn't be able to do that. And so you say, well, how do you achieve that?

We need a system that enforces kind of trade balance, not with countries, but globally. Countries shouldn't be able to be huge surplus countries year after year, like China, of course, being the worst example, but also Germany. Ireland is evolving to that. There's a bunch of other countries we could talk about. Countries shouldn't be able to do that. And so you say, well, how do you achieve that?

You really need to put in place, I would say, some kind of tariffs to offset this fundamental unfairness. You're not just offsetting their tariffs. Europe's 10% on autos. We're 2.5%. If Europe went to zero, we still wouldn't sell very many cars in Europe. We just wouldn't. Our companies basically make small trucks. They don't need them there.

You really need to put in place, I would say, some kind of tariffs to offset this fundamental unfairness. You're not just offsetting their tariffs. Europe's 10% on autos. We're 2.5%. If Europe went to zero, we still wouldn't sell very many cars in Europe. We just wouldn't. Our companies basically make small trucks. They don't need them there.

You really need to put in place, I would say, some kind of tariffs to offset this fundamental unfairness. You're not just offsetting their tariffs. Europe's 10% on autos. We're 2.5%. If Europe went to zero, we still wouldn't sell very many cars in Europe. We just wouldn't. Our companies basically make small trucks. They don't need them there.

I mean, it's just there's a lot of reasons why that wouldn't happen. But what you need, you can't have countries have huge trade surpluses over long periods of time. You have to enforce and you have to penalize countries that have surpluses all the time and let countries that have deficits all the time get back to balance. If you do that, you then get the benefits of trade.

I mean, it's just there's a lot of reasons why that wouldn't happen. But what you need, you can't have countries have huge trade surpluses over long periods of time. You have to enforce and you have to penalize countries that have surpluses all the time and let countries that have deficits all the time get back to balance. If you do that, you then get the benefits of trade.

I mean, it's just there's a lot of reasons why that wouldn't happen. But what you need, you can't have countries have huge trade surpluses over long periods of time. You have to enforce and you have to penalize countries that have surpluses all the time and let countries that have deficits all the time get back to balance. If you do that, you then get the benefits of trade.

And he says what we should do is have export-import certificates. So in order to import, you need an export certificate. So you want to bring in T-shirts. You go to a steel mill and say, okay, fine. You export it. I'm going to buy that. And that would get you to balance. And I would certainly support that. Another way you could do it is you could put – and this is a little more complicated –

And he says what we should do is have export-import certificates. So in order to import, you need an export certificate. So you want to bring in T-shirts. You go to a steel mill and say, okay, fine. You export it. I'm going to buy that. And that would get you to balance. And I would certainly support that. Another way you could do it is you could put – and this is a little more complicated –

And he says what we should do is have export-import certificates. So in order to import, you need an export certificate. So you want to bring in T-shirts. You go to a steel mill and say, okay, fine. You export it. I'm going to buy that. And that would get you to balance. And I would certainly support that. Another way you could do it is you could put – and this is a little more complicated –

You could put a tax on the money that comes back, this $23.5 trillion, this trillion dollars that comes back every year where they buy U.S. assets. You could tax that. So that really wasn't worth a dollar. It was only worth 80 cents. In that case, there would be less incentive for people to run up these rail buses.

You could put a tax on the money that comes back, this $23.5 trillion, this trillion dollars that comes back every year where they buy U.S. assets. You could tax that. So that really wasn't worth a dollar. It was only worth 80 cents. In that case, there would be less incentive for people to run up these rail buses.

You could put a tax on the money that comes back, this $23.5 trillion, this trillion dollars that comes back every year where they buy U.S. assets. You could tax that. So that really wasn't worth a dollar. It was only worth 80 cents. In that case, there would be less incentive for people to run up these rail buses.

That's called a capital access fee, and there are people that will propose that, and that also would work. And then there's tariffs. So, I prefer tariffs, one, because people understand them. Two, every country in the world has a system set up to deal with tariffs right now. They all have the legality. They all have the process of how to do it. Three, they're flexible.

That's called a capital access fee, and there are people that will propose that, and that also would work. And then there's tariffs. So, I prefer tariffs, one, because people understand them. Two, every country in the world has a system set up to deal with tariffs right now. They all have the legality. They all have the process of how to do it. Three, they're flexible.

That's called a capital access fee, and there are people that will propose that, and that also would work. And then there's tariffs. So, I prefer tariffs, one, because people understand them. Two, every country in the world has a system set up to deal with tariffs right now. They all have the legality. They all have the process of how to do it. Three, they're flexible.