Lifting China Tariffs to Tame Inflation Is ‘Foolish’ Move, Trump’s Trade Chief Lighthizer Says

Then-U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer appears before the Senate Finance Committee in Washington on June 17, 2020. Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—Former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer opposes a possible White House plan to repeal some Trump administration tariffs on Chinese goods, arguing that it would have no effect on inflation.

Biden administration officials are still contemplating whether to remove some of the tariffs on more than $300 billion of Chinese goods put in place under President Donald Trump. Some believe that reducing tariffs may help in curbing 40-year high inflation.