Trump’s Trade Pick May Face Hurdle Over Past Lobbying for Brazil

By Bill Allison, Bloomberg News

President Donald Trump’s nominee to become the top U.S. trade representative is facing a possible roadblock to his confirmation related to work he did for the Brazilian government more than 30 years ago.

Robert Lighthizer negotiated with the U.S. on behalf of Brazil in a trade dispute over ethanol in 1985, according to disclosures under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. A decade later, Congress banned anyone who had represented a foreign government in a trade dispute with the U.S. from serving as the nation’s top trade official.

The provision was part of the 1995Lobbying ...