Lighthizer defends tariffs as fix for trade imbalance

At the 2025 Dong-A International Finance Forum on Thursday, former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the Trump administration’s tariffs were a necessary response to a deepening trade imbalance. He argued that free trade, when applied indiscriminately, had led to structural inequities, and that high tariffs were essential to restore fairness.

Lighthizer said the American middle class had been harmed by unfair trade practices while the wealthiest 1 percent benefited. “It is more important for American workers to have jobs and support their families and communities than to simply buy cheap TVs,” he said. “That is our goal.”

Addressing a U.S. court ruling on Wednesday that blocked the implementation of reciprocal tariffs, Lighthizer called it “a major obstacle” to the Trump-era trade strategy. Still, he emphasized that the tariff agenda would continue. He pointed to Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act as a potential tool. “All tariffs on China were based on Section 301. We faced many lawsuits and won them all,” he said. “Soon, item-specific tariffs could be applied to other countries engaging in unfair trade practices that hurt the U.S.”

South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-keun delivered a congratulatory address at the forum, warning that a second Trump administration would likely introduce broader tariffs across countries and product categories. “We will prepare thoroughly for changes in U.S. trade policy and the global trade environment,” he said.

“External uncertainties like tariffs cannot be managed by the government alone,” First Vice Minister of Economy and Finance Kim Beom-seok, serving as acting minister, also said. “We need a nationwide response involving both public and private sectors.”

Now in its 13th year, the forum was co-hosted by The Dong-A Ilbo and Channel A under the theme “Trump 2.0 and the Korean Economy: Tariff Wars and the Crisis of Low Growth.” Lawmakers Lim Kwang-hyun of the Democratic Party and Kim Jae-seop of the People Power Party were also in attendance.


Joo-Young Jeon aimhigh@donga.com