Howard Lutnick, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next US trade minister, wants higher trade tariffs against China than against other countries.
I think the Chinese tariffs should be the highest. Our opponents' (tariffs) should be the highest, said Lutnick during a congressional hearing.
However, he also targeted Europe, accusing it of "taking advantage of us".
Wall Street veteran Lutnick was a vocal advocate during the fall election campaign in the US for a tough American trade regime.
Various analysts believe that Trump may soon decide on tariffs against a number of countries.
