Trump chooses trade lawyer Jamieson Greer as new US trade rep

United States President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday selected trade lawyer Jamieson Greer to serve as the new US trade representative, a move that signals the continuation of a robust tariff agenda aimed at reshaping global trade.

In a statement, Trump, 78, said: "Jamieson will focus the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) on reining in the Country's massive Trade Deficit, defending American Manufacturing, Agriculture, and Services, and opening up Export Markets everywhere."

The 44-year-old lawyer previously held the position of chief of staff to Trump's former trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, who was instrumental in implementing tariffs on approximately $370 billion worth of Chinese imports and in renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreenment with Canada and Mexico. 

Greer played a key role in the negotiations leading to the "Phase 1" trade deal with China, signed in January 2020, which included China's commintment to purchase $200 billion in US goods over two years — a target that ultimately went unmet, in part due to disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Greer, who previously worked with Lighthizer at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, on steel trade remedy cases, left USTR in May 2020 to join the King & Spalding law firm in Washington, DC.

There, he has represented clients including domestic manufacturers in trade remedy cases, export and import compliance and investment security matters.

Trump got off to an early start on specific tariff plans, vowing on Monday to impose duties of 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada and 10% on Chinese goods unless they halt flows of the deadly opioid fentanyl and illegal migrants into the US. The threat has drawn warnings of retaliation.

The threat comes on top of Trump's vow to impose tariffs of 60% on Chinese imports and 10% to 20% on all goods from elsewhere.

Greer's views on China are firmly aligned with both Trump and Lighthizer and on the need for strong actions against China to counter its state-driven efforts to dominate global industries and protect US jobs and industries.

During testimony in May before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Greer argued in favour of "increased tariff usage" to level the trade playing field between the US and China, along with stronger export controls to safeguard sensitive US technologies.

He applauded President Joe Biden's steep tariff increases on Chinese imports to shield strategic industries such as electric vehicles, batteries and semiconductors, but said stronger action was needed.

"I'm gravely concerned not only with Chinese efforts to dominate global markets and some of the most important technologies and advanced manufactured goods, but also with the Chinese government's use of trade investment to support its state owned enterprises, its military, and then to drive an economy that appears to be gearing up for conflict with the United States and others," Greer said.

Greer said during a February tradeforum that his clients have been seeking to diversify their supply chains away from China, partly a result of the tariffs imposed on Chinese imports during Trump's first term.