Top Commerce trade official resigns
Source: Politico
09/20/2019 11:25 AM EDT
Gilbert Kaplan, the Commerce Departments top trade enforcement official, resigned Thursday, further underscoring the turmoil that has gripped the agency under the leadership of Secretary Wilbur Ross.
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Two people said Kaplans resignation was effective immediately. It is unclear what prompted Kaplans departure.
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The broader Commerce Department has been said to be slipping into dysfunction under Ross, whose leadership has been questioned. Morale has been low as Ross hasnt been seen leading the department but rather using Commerces functions as tools to curry favor with the president.
The administration has repeatedly touted an increase in trade enforcement since President Donald Trump took office with the initiation of 182 new trade investigations of unfairly traded imports, a 231 percent increase compared to the same period of the previous administration, according to Commerce.
Under Kaplans tenure, the agency has also taken measures to more aggressively counter China. That included the first self-initiated trade investigation in 25 years. U.S. companies are usually responsible for petitioning for duties. In another major policy shift, the department is looking at using undervalued currency as a criteria for imposing punitive tariffs..................
Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/20/top-commerce-trade-official-resigns-1506540
Something big has to be going on. He is immediately quitting.
Weasel Ross has to #RESIGN!!
bearsfootball516
(6,373 posts)Wonder if this is related to that.
NCjack
(10,279 posts)Donald J. Trump. Please, someone turn on the "orange-little-pecker" signal to summon him immediately to the dealer's table. Before the Chinese walk out.
keithbvadu2
(36,655 posts)'I'm The Only One That Matters,' Trump Says Of State Dept. Job Vacancies
November 3, 2017
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/11/03/561797675/im-the-only-one-that-matters-trump-says-of-state-dept-job-vacancies
SeattleVet
(5,477 posts)then was a steel lobbyist, among other things.
From AllGov:
(http://www.allgov.com/news/top-stories/director-of-the-international-trade-administration-who-is-gil-kaplan-170517?news=860182)
"President Donald Trump has declared that his appointees cant work on issues about which they lobbied. Gil Kaplan, whom Trump named on April 11, 2017, to lead the International Trade Administration, has lobbied extensively for steel and other interests, including the Coalition for Fair Paper Imports. This would appear to be a clear conflict of interest, considering that the mission of the International Trade Administration is to promote U.S. industry interests in international trade by providing market intelligence to U.S. exporters, ensuring their access to international markets and enforcing foreign compliance with international trade agreements."
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His bio is still up at the US International Trade Administration site (soon to be scrubbed, I'm sure):
https://www.trade.gov/press/bios/kaplan.asp
Here's his confirmation transcript:
https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/30926.pdf
Typical tRump toadie swampdweller. I wonder what triggered this abrupt resignation.