Robert Lighthizer, the outgoing US Trade Representative, backed up the strategies of the Trump administration of slamming trade tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars and also urged the incoming President, Joe Biden, to carry forward the same, reported AFP. 

Lighthizer said in an interview, “We changed the way people think about China” and also claimed that the trade policy of the Trump administration had benefited the people of America. 

He added, “We transformed the way people think about trade, and we transformed the way the models are… My hope is that that will continue”. 

Also Read: Agriculture markets among India, US trade deliberations: Congressional report

Lighthizer expressed his fear of 1990s politics making its way back, which only focused on a clear dialogue with China. He called such policies “a waste of time”. 

Moreover, he condemned the “unfair” trade practices of China and called their policies and accused them of pressuring outsourced firms into giving up their technologies to conduct their business there, reported AFP

Due to the tariffs, China faced an additional $370 billion in customs and duties and was strong-armed into entering into an agreement that obligated them to purchase additional US goods and services worth $200 billion. The agreement also made pressurised China to have a lenient policy towards US companies and open their financial markets.

This campaign caused the prices of Chinese products in the US to shoot up but did not cause an economic disaster, as was expected by a few analysts. 

Biden, who is set to take office next week, has said he does not plan to immediately change US trade policy on China.