In a major shake-up of trade policy Donald Trump picked Jamieson Greer (a 44-year old trade expert) as his new US trade representative this tuesday
The ex-chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer brings deep-rooted experience in US-China trade relations; having worked on the Phase 1 deal back in early 2020 (which aimed for $200 billion in US goods purchases by China but didnt reach its targets due to covid-19 issues)
At King & Spalding law firm Greer has been helping companies with trade rules and investment security — his work shows strong support for higher tariffs on Chinese goods. During a trade meeting last february he noticed that his clients are moving away from China-based supply chains
Trump announced new tax plans that include:
- 25% duties on Mexican and Canadian imports
- 10% tax on Chinese goods
- 60% possible future tariffs on Chinese products
- 10-20% fees on other global imports
During his may testimony Greer showed full support for strict trade controls: “Im gravely concerned with Chinese efforts to dominate global markets“ he stated while discussing tech industries and state-owned companies
The Office will focus on fixing our Trade Deficit defending American Manufacturing Agriculture and Services
The new representative backs stricter export rules and supports Bidenʼs recent increases on Chinese import taxes — especially in areas like electric cars batteries and computer chips