Trump’s Trade Hawk Peter Navarro Tapped for White House Return

Former White House adviser Peter Navarro has been named to return as senior counselor for trade and manufacturing in President-Elect Trump’s second administration.

Trump’s announcement, made via Truth Social, emphasizes Navarro’s “broad range of White House experience” and his “extensive Policy analytic and Media skills” as key factors in the appointment.

Navarro’s previous tenure in the Trump administration was marked by substantial influence over U.S. trade policy. As the inaugural Director of the White House National Trade Council in 2017, he spearheaded initiatives to strengthen American manufacturing. His role expanded when he became Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, where he was instrumental in shaping the administration’s trade strategy.

During his previous service, Navarro emerged as a central architect of the “America First” trade agenda, orchestrating major policy shifts including the renegotiation of NAFTA into USMCA and the implementation of tariffs on Chinese imports.

His hawkish stance on China was particularly notable, as he consistently raised concerns about intellectual property theft and trade imbalances.

Notably, Navarro was sentenced to serve four months in prison for contempt of Congress after refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.

His approach to trade policy has been characterized by strong protectionist measures, including advocacy for steel and aluminum tariffs aimed at protecting U.S. industries and jobs, which became a hallmark of the previous administration’s economic policy.

The appointment signals a potential continuation of aggressive trade policies, despite Navarro’s controversial status. The appointment comes about a week after President-elect Trump announced an 10% tariff on U.S. imports from China, as well as 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada. While on the campaign trail, Trump had proposed a 10% tariff on all U.S. imports and a 60% levy on Chinese-made products.

Navarro’s previous term also included significant contributions to pandemic response efforts, focusing on domestic production of medical supplies, though his tenure was marked by frequent conflicts with more traditional free-trade advocates within the administration.

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