IBM CEO Joins Trump Business-Policy Advisers

International Business Machines Corp. CEO Ginni Rometty is one of 16 business leaders who will advise President-elect Donald Trump as members of the President's Strategic and Policy Forum, Mr. Trump said Friday.

The group will meet with Mr. Trump to consult as he implements his plan to stem the flow of U.S. jobs to other countries. IBM is one of the technology companies he has criticized for offshoring jobs and manufacturing products abroad.

Ms. Rometty is the only technology CEO to take part.

Mr. Trump's impending presidency has raised concerns among some tech CEOs who rely on manufacturing or inexpensive labor abroad. The president-elect, in a Nov. 6 campaign speech in Minnesota, noted that IBM had laid off 500 workers in Minneapolis and moved their jobs to India and other countries. He said he would impose a 35% tax on imports by companies that move U.S.-based operations outside the country.

He reiterated that message on Sunday morning in a series of Twitter messages.

"The U.S. is going to substantially reduce taxes and regulations on businesses, but any business that leaves our country for another country, fires its employees, builds a new factory or plant in the other country and then thinks it will sell its product back into the U.S. without retribution or consequence is WRONG!" he wrote in a series of Twitter messages.

Last month Ms. Rometty sent Mr. Trump a letter saying her company will support efforts to pass tax reform early in 2017.

"Many billions of dollars of American companies' earnings do not come home because of an outdated and punitive tax system," she wrote.

IBM declined to comment beyond Ms. Rometty's letter.

Ms. Rometty hasn't publicly supported candidates of either party, nor has she made any political donations, according to databases maintained by the Federal Election Commission.

The advisory group also includes the chief executives of General Motors Co., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and The Walt Disney Co., and the former chief executive of Boeing Co.

Write to Rachael King at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 05, 2016 01:35 ET (06:35 GMT)

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