Robert Lighthizer

**Robert Emmet Lighthizer** (born October 11, 1947) is an American lawyer. He was the 18th United States Trade Representative from May 15, 2017 to January 20, 2021.

Lighthizer is a partner with the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where he works to gain access to foreign markets on behalf of U.S. corporations. In the 1980s, he served as deputy trade representative during President Ronald Reagan's administration.

## Early life

Lighthizer was born in Ashtabula, Ohio. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1969 and a Juris Doctor in 1973 from Georgetown University.

## Career

From 1973 through 1978, before working in government, Lighthizer worked for the Washington, DC law firm of Covington & Burling.

In 1983, during the administration of President Ronald Reagan, he became deputy trade representative. He negotiated two dozen bilateral international agreements on subjects ranging from steel to grain.

In 1985, Lighthizer negotiated against the United States, on behalf of Brazil, in a trade dispute over ethanol. Between 1985 and 1990, Lighthizer represented five foreign clients.

He has been a long time supporter of the U.S. steel industry. He convinced  Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and the United Kingdom to accept “voluntary restraint agreements” to limit the amount of cheap steel they could dump on the U.S. market.

## United States Trade Representative (2017–2021)

On January 3, 2017, then-President-elect Donald Trump announced that he planned to nominate Lighthizer as U.S. trade representative, a cabinet-level position.

Lighthizer's nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on a 82-14 vote.

During his time in office, he focused on American trade policy during Trump's first presidency. His policies were focused toward protection of manufacturing in the United States. Lighthizer had an important role in the administration's renegotiation of NAFTA and the United States' trade war with China. Many of these trade policies have been kept by the Biden administration.

## Second Trump administration

In November 2024, President-elect Trump said that Lighthizer will serve as his "trade czar" during his second administration.

## Personal life

Lighthizer lives in Rockville, Maryland and has 2 children.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Robert Lighthizer
- **image**: Robert E. Lighthizer official portrait.jpg
- **office**: United States Department of Commerce, Trade Czar of the United States
- **status**: Designate
- **1blankname**: Secretary of Commerce
- **1namedata**: Howard Lutnick _(nominee)_
- **president**: Donald Trump
- **term start**: January 20, 2025
- **succeeding**: _Position established_
- **office1**: 18th Office of the United States Trade Representative, United States Trade Representative
- **president1**: Donald Trump
- **deputy1**: Jeffrey Gerrish
C.J. Mahoney
Dennis Shea
- **term start1**: May 15, 2017
- **term end1**: January 20, 2021
- **predecessor1**: Michael Froman
- **successor1**: Katherine Tai
- **office2**: 1st Office of the United States Trade Representative, United States Deputy Trade Representative
- **president2**: Ronald Reagan
- **term start2**: April 15, 1983
- **term end2**: August 16, 1985
- **predecessor2**: _Position established_
- **birth name**: Robert Emmet Lighthizer
- **birth place**: Ashtabula, Ohio, U.S.
- **party**: Republican Party (United States), Republican
- **children**: 2
- **education**: Georgetown University (Bachelor of Arts, BA, Juris Doctor, JD)
- **caption**: Official portrait, 2017