President and Trade Representative Lighthizer Differ on MOUs in Trade Talks

During an impromptu press conference in the Oval Office to discuss progress on trade talks with China, President Trump and his trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, offer differing views on memorandums of understanding (MOUs), with the president saying he doesn't like them because they don't mean very much to him and the trade representative saying they are a contracts. President Trump goes on to say that he wants a trade agreement with China, not a memorandum of understanding, at which point Mr. Lighthizer says the U.S. won't use the term "memorandum of understanding" any more and will only use the term "trade agreement," assuming they can overcome hurdles and reach an agreement. close