President-elect Trump on Tuesday chose trade lawyer Jamieson Greer to be his new U.S. Trade Representative, promoting a key veteran from his first-term trade war to execute a comprehensive tariff agenda that is expected to disrupt global trade.
Trump stated in a statement: 'Greer will focus the work of the U.S. Trade Representative's office on controlling America's massive trade deficit, defending American manufacturing, agriculture, and services, and expanding export markets around the world.'
The 44-year-old Greer previously served as chief of staff to Trump's former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and he was the architect of Trump's initial tariffs on approximately $370 billion worth of Chinese imports and the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.
Trump said Greer's efforts under Lighthizer helped reverse decades of 'disastrous trade policy.'
Greer previously worked with Lighthizer on steel trade relief cases at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. He left the U.S. Trade Representative's office in May 2020 to join King & Spalding LLP in Washington, D.C. He has represented clients, including domestic manufacturers, in trade relief cases, import and export compliance, and investment security matters.
Trump has long begun a concrete tariff plan, vowing on Monday to impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods unless they stop sending lethal opioids like fentanyl and illegal immigrants to the U.S. Previously, Trump vowed to impose a 60% tariff on Chinese imports and a 10% to 20% tariff on all goods from other countries.
Greer's views on China are firmly aligned with those of Trump and Lighthizer, believing it is necessary to protect U.S. jobs and industries.
In May, while testifying before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Greer advocated for 'increasing the use of tariffs' to create a fair environment for trade competition between the U.S. and China, while also strengthening export controls to protect sensitive U.S. technology.
He praised Biden's substantial increase in tariffs on Chinese imports to protect strategic industries such as electric vehicles, batteries, and semiconductors, but stated that more robust actions are needed.
Greer said at a trade forum in February that his clients have been seeking to diversify their supply chains away from China, partly due to the tariffs imposed on Chinese imports during Trump's first term.
Article forwarded from: Jin Ten Data