On January 3rd, President-Elect Trump nominated Robert E. Lighthizer as the U.S. Trade Representative. Lighthizer currently works as a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where he specializes in international trade issues. Before working at Skadden, Lighthizer worked as a Deputy U.S. Trade Representative in the Reagan Administration. Lighthizer was an early backer of Trump for president and is well known to be a skeptic on free trade, as well as a harsh critic of China’s trade practices. He has been a strong advocate for keeping the steel sector competitive in the U.S. As an attorney, Lighthizer represented the U.S. steel industry and other companies, helping to establish tariffs that have reduced Chinese steel imports. The U.S. Trade Representative office has responsibility over negotiating trade agreements with other countries, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was negotiated under the Obama Administration. Trump has already stated that he plans to withdraw from this deal on his first day in office.