Robert Lighthizer

So since he sort of raised the red flag on this and said, we've got to get back to balanced trade, the situation has gotten geometrically worse. So that's the first condemnation of the current system. And we can talk at great length about that if you like. The second is this system has really slowed economic growth in the United States. So let me give you a point here.

So since he sort of raised the red flag on this and said, we've got to get back to balanced trade, the situation has gotten geometrically worse. So that's the first condemnation of the current system. And we can talk at great length about that if you like. The second is this system has really slowed economic growth in the United States. So let me give you a point here.

If you think from the 1960 to 1980, And then 1980 to 2000 and 2000 to the present, think in those three increments. From 1960 to 1980, we had 14 years of plus 3% GDP growth, all right, reasonable GDP growth. From 1980 to 2000, again, we had 14 years of plus GDP growth. Since 2000 to now, we have had three years. And one of those was COVID, which doesn't really count.

If you think from the 1960 to 1980, And then 1980 to 2000 and 2000 to the present, think in those three increments. From 1960 to 1980, we had 14 years of plus 3% GDP growth, all right, reasonable GDP growth. From 1980 to 2000, again, we had 14 years of plus GDP growth. Since 2000 to now, we have had three years. And one of those was COVID, which doesn't really count.

If you think from the 1960 to 1980, And then 1980 to 2000 and 2000 to the present, think in those three increments. From 1960 to 1980, we had 14 years of plus 3% GDP growth, all right, reasonable GDP growth. From 1980 to 2000, again, we had 14 years of plus GDP growth. Since 2000 to now, we have had three years. And one of those was COVID, which doesn't really count.

So the last time we had plus 3% GDP growth was 18 or 19 years ago. And that coincides with this period of uber, some would say hyper-globalization, hyper-free trade that came on largely in the 1990s. So we've seen the transfer of wealth overseas. We're getting poorer. We have seen American economic growth. We've also seen a deterioration of our technology, of our technological lead.

So the last time we had plus 3% GDP growth was 18 or 19 years ago. And that coincides with this period of uber, some would say hyper-globalization, hyper-free trade that came on largely in the 1990s. So we've seen the transfer of wealth overseas. We're getting poorer. We have seen American economic growth. We've also seen a deterioration of our technology, of our technological lead.

So the last time we had plus 3% GDP growth was 18 or 19 years ago. And that coincides with this period of uber, some would say hyper-globalization, hyper-free trade that came on largely in the 1990s. So we've seen the transfer of wealth overseas. We're getting poorer. We have seen American economic growth. We've also seen a deterioration of our technology, of our technological lead.

And there's a number of ways to think about this.

And there's a number of ways to think about this.

And there's a number of ways to think about this.

Well, but the demographics is an interesting point, and I agree with what Vice President Maas talked about the other day about how one of the things about immigration is it does get you dependent on low wages, and when you depend on low wages, it tends to stifle innovation. So I agree with that. But I'm making a little different point. If you think when you lose manufacturing –

Well, but the demographics is an interesting point, and I agree with what Vice President Maas talked about the other day about how one of the things about immigration is it does get you dependent on low wages, and when you depend on low wages, it tends to stifle innovation. So I agree with that. But I'm making a little different point. If you think when you lose manufacturing –

Well, but the demographics is an interesting point, and I agree with what Vice President Maas talked about the other day about how one of the things about immigration is it does get you dependent on low wages, and when you depend on low wages, it tends to stifle innovation. So I agree with that. But I'm making a little different point. If you think when you lose manufacturing –

and you lose manufacturing jobs, you also, it slows down your innovation. There was this notion that, well, we'll innovate and others will manufacture, but it doesn't work that way. Most of the innovation is near the point of manufacturing. So what are my data points to suggest that we are falling behind? All right, first is we invented the personal computer.

and you lose manufacturing jobs, you also, it slows down your innovation. There was this notion that, well, we'll innovate and others will manufacture, but it doesn't work that way. Most of the innovation is near the point of manufacturing. So what are my data points to suggest that we are falling behind? All right, first is we invented the personal computer.

and you lose manufacturing jobs, you also, it slows down your innovation. There was this notion that, well, we'll innovate and others will manufacture, but it doesn't work that way. Most of the innovation is near the point of manufacturing. So what are my data points to suggest that we are falling behind? All right, first is we invented the personal computer.

Now we make almost none and none without foreign parts. We invented the semiconductor. We make now 8% of the global amount. We used to dominate it. We can say the same thing about rare earths. We didn't invent them, but we used to dominate that.

Now we make almost none and none without foreign parts. We invented the semiconductor. We make now 8% of the global amount. We used to dominate it. We can say the same thing about rare earths. We didn't invent them, but we used to dominate that.

Now we make almost none and none without foreign parts. We invented the semiconductor. We make now 8% of the global amount. We used to dominate it. We can say the same thing about rare earths. We didn't invent them, but we used to dominate that.