US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Peter Navarro, his former economic adviser who has been under Beijing’s sanctions since 2021, as senior counselor for trade and manufacturing for his upcoming term in the White House. At 75, Navarro will assist in the “successful advancement and communication of the Trump manufacturing, tariff, and trade agendas,” Trump announced on social media on Wednesday.
Trump praised Navarro’s past performance, stating, “During my first term, few were more effective or tenacious than Peter in enforcing my two sacred rules, Buy American, Hire American.” He added that the new role would capitalize on Navarro’s “broad range of White House experience.”
During Trump’s first term, Peter Navarro held the position of director for the newly established White House National Trade Council. Known for his strong advocacy of protectionist trade policies, Navarro has consistently supported measures to shield American industries. He vigorously defended tariffs on $370 billion worth of Chinese imports in this role and pushed for national security tariffs on aluminum and steel.
Peter Navarro was a key architect of America’s trade war with China and was among the 28 senior officials sanctioned by Beijing the day after President Joe Biden took office in January 2021. At the time, the Chinese foreign ministry stated that Navarro and the other sanctioned Americans “seriously violated China’s sovereignty and are primarily responsible for China-related issues.”
Those sanctioned were barred from entering Chinese territory, including Hong Kong, and companies affiliated with them were to face business restrictions in China. Navarro’s appointment marks him as the second member of Trump’s new administration to be sanctioned by Beijing.
He joins Marco Rubio, a US senator from Florida and a known China hawk who has been sanctioned twice by Beijing. Rubio, selected by Trump as the next secretary of state, is currently awaiting confirmation by the US Senate. Additionally, Trump has already appointed cabinet secretaries and a national security adviser who have expressed a strong stance on confronting China.
Peter Navarro is among those American politicians who blame China for the spread of the coronavirus. In an interview given to CNBC, Peter Navarro said that Beijing has not taken measures to limit the travel of infected citizens abroad.
“They banned flights from Wuhan to Beijing and Shanghai, but at the same time allowed flights to Milan and New York. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese spread the virus widely, creating a prerequisite for the spread of the pandemic. China has caused serious damage to the world and China will have to pay the price.”- said Navarro.
Navarro, a Harvard-educated economist, rose to prominence with his 2011 book “Death by China,” in which he accused China of currency manipulation and intentionally harming Americans with dangerous consumer goods.
In his book, Navarro proposed measures to counter these actions, such as preventing Beijing from pressuring American companies to transfer technology to their Chinese partners. Many of Navarro’s recommendations were later adopted by the Trump administration.
In a critical article by MSNBC, it is highlighted that Navarro’s return signals Trump is as serious as ever about pursuing an aggressive tariff strategy, unraveling free trade norms and agreements, and potentially escalating trade wars with China.
