Trade Cases
August 22, 2017
WSJ Questions Lighthizer Rationale on Auto Rules of Origin
Written by Sandy Williams
Rules of origin for automobiles continue to confound NAFTA negotiators. Currently, 62.5 percent of an automobile must be made in North America to qualify for duty-free status within the NAFTA region. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer wants to push that percentage higher to reduce content coming from Europe and Asia. However, Lighthizer’s obsession with reducing the trade deficit could come at a cost to the U.S. automotive industry.
Wall Street Journal editors on Monday broached that subject, questioning: “What does the Trump trade rep have against the U.S. car industry?”
