Robert Lighthizer Quotes

We are on pace this year to have a trade deficit that is larger than $800 billion. We have never faced that before, but we continue to put forward trade agreements like these that leave us naked to competition that is neither free nor fair.

I'm not opposed to free trade if it's fair trade. But I am opposed to bad trade deals.

Not only must we fight to end disastrous unfettered free trade agreements with China, Mexico, and other low wage countries, we must fight to fundamentally rewrite our trade agreements so that American products, not jobs, are our number one export.

That level of trade deficit throttles real growth in our country and continues the unfortunate path of selling out America. We are not winning the global trade war, we are losing it badly.

While I believe firmly in open markets and free trade, I also believe an open market needs a level playing field.

The United States is the least protectionist country in the world but has the largest trade deficit, while other countries are highly protectionist and have huge trade surpluses. This cannot continue.

China is the most protectionist country of the very large countries. They talk more about free trade than they actually practice.

The E.U., China, and Japan all talk free trade, and they all practice protectionism.

But, we have had the debate in our country now for a number of years as to whether or not free trade agreements are good for economic growth and economic opportunity in creating jobs and lifting people out of poverty.

The Bush Administration and the Congress have to stop ignoring this crisis in international trade. The longer we ignore it, the more American jobs will move overseas. It's just that simple.

Before we move forward with new efforts to lower the barriers to international free trade, we must review the consequences of the policies of the past and address the problems of the present.

China must voluntarily cut back on exports to America otherwise American politics will become unmanageable.

Unfair foreign trade practices are not isolated acts.

The popular notion is that imports are bad and exports are good.

Free trade is not just an economic opportunity, it is a moral imperative:

We have not addressed the effects of global economics where we are the only free traders in town.

Unfettered free trade has been a disaster not only for Americans but for the working people of Mexico and Canada as well.

There is nothing inconsistent between standing up for free trade and standing up for American workers.

We want to export our products but not our jobs.

Under a system of free trade every branch of industry did not prosper.

Free trade is good but not as good as fair trade.

It is the system now called free trade that tends to the destruction of commerce, as is shown wherever it obtains.

The benefits of trade diffuse across the economy, but the cost of trade are concentrated.

[N]o real leader can aspire to champion both the logic and the morality of free trade without confronting the practice that undermines both: currency manipulation.

U.S. trade policy has been a disaster for American workers.