WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate lawyer Robert Lighthizer as U.S. Trade Representative, according to a transition official.

Lighthizer served as deputy USTR under President Ronald Reagan. His responsibilities included industry, agriculture, investment and trade policy, according to his law firm biography.

Trump made trade a central issue in his campaign, vowing to pull out of a major Pacific Rim trade pact. He has said he prefers unilateral trade deals that he says would lead to more favorable conditions for U.S. businesses and workers.

The transition official was not authorized to publicly confirm Trump's expected decision and insisted on anonymity.