Trump names Navarro as senior counselor for trade and manufacturing

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced Peter Navarro as his senior counselor for trade and manufacturing on Wednesday, noting that Navarro helped him renegotiate the South Korea-U.S. free trade deal.

Trump issued a statement on his decision to pick Navarro who served as director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy during Trump’s first term, stressing that Navarro’s mission will be to “help successfully advance and communicate the Trump Manufacturing, Tariff and Trade Agendas.”

“During my First Term, few were more effective or tenacious than Peter in enforcing my two sacred rules, Buy American, Hire American,” Trump said.

“He helped me renegotiate unfair Trade Deals like NAFTA and the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS), and moved every one of my Tariff and Trade actions FAST,” he added, using the acronym for the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The president-elect pointed out that the senior counselor position leverages Navarro’s broad range of White House experience, while harnessing his policy analytic and media skills.

“He did a superb job for the American People in my First Term. Peter will do even better as Senior Counselor to protect American Workers, and truly Make American Manufacturing Great Again,” Trump said.