AAM supports President Trump’s pick to lead U.S. trade policy.

The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) has voiced its support for Robert Lighthizer, President Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. trade representative (USTR).

In an open letter published on AmericanManufacturing.org, AAM President Scott Paul called Lighthizer “uniquely qualified to represent the trade interests of U.S. companies and America’s factory workers” and touted his experience with trade litigation, policy, and legislative issues as making him “the right choice to lead USTR.”

“Lighthizer has a difficult job ahead of him. The U.S. trade deficit with China has quadrupled since 2001 and global industrial overcapacity is at record levels,” Paul said, adding that his leadership “will be vital to fighting unfair trade, negotiating better trade deals, and defending U.S. rights at the WTO,” an organization that — in the AAM’s view — “oversteps its mandate and disproportionately targets America’s trade enforcement laws.”

To emphasize that view, Paul notes that from 1995 to 2015, the U.S. was the subject of 57.5% of the WTO’s decisions in trade remedy disputes.

Paul continued: “Across government, it is important that key trade leadership posts be filled, including USTR, Commerce, and the International Trade Commission. In the absence of leadership at these posts, factory jobs are at risk.”