Rob Lighthizer not to return as trade representative in Trump 2.0 govt

Former US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has not been asked by President-elect Donald Trump to return, contrary to a Financial Times report, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

It was speculated that Robert Lighthizer would make a comeback under Donald Trump's second term as the US President to oversee the trade policy in a report by the Financial Times (FT), citing unnamed people familiar with the talks among the Trump transition team.

However, Reuters noted that one of the two sources familiar with the matter called the report "untrue." The sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

Robert Lighthizer has refused to comment on the report as well as on deliberations within Trump's transition team about cabinet positions.

Lighthizer was one of the leading figures during Trump's first term, which saw the imposition of hefty tariffs on Chinese imports and the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, with Mexico and Canada.

As per Reuters, Lighthizer has been frequently mentioned in the Republican circles as a potential candidate for other Trump cabinet positions, including Treasury secretary and commerce secretary.

The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment.

On Thursday, Donald Trump announced he had picked Susie Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, to be White House chief of staff.

According to Reuters, Donald Trump aims to kick the aggressive trade agenda from his first four-year term into higher gear with across-the-board 10% tariffs on imported goods and even higher levies on imports from China and elsewhere. If these are enacted, they would push up consumer prices.

China's top envoy to the United States warned on Thursday that there are no winners in tariff or trade wars, nor in wars over science and technology or industry.