President Donald Trump’s top trade envoy will be in the congressional hot seat for two days this week, giving lawmakers the chance to grill him about the prospects for a deal with China, as well as various punitive measures threatened by his boss.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is up before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, for the first time since trade talks with Beijing collapsed in early May. That’s when Trump decided to increase tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports, and threatened to target the remaining $300 billion with duties of as much as 25%.
Lighthizer will testify before the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday.
Analysts expect the China tariffs will be the hottest topic at the hearings. Investors are eager for clues as to whether Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet at this month’s Group of 20 summit in Japan — and possibly break the deadlock.
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