International trade lawyer and former White House official Jamieson Greer was confirmed as the new United States Trade Representative on Wednesday.
The Senate confirmed Greer as the country's top trade negotiator in a 56-43 vote, as the administration readies to impose a widespread tariff regime next month.
Greer served as the chief of staff for former USTR Robert Lighthizer during Trump’s first term, and was instrumental in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement negotiations and in trade talks with China.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Greer doubled down on his support for tariffs as a way to grow the U.S. economy.
Trade policy — including the use of tariffs — is an essential part of strengthening and reestablishing our domestic industrial base," Greer said. "I believe President Trump's leadership and transformative vision for improving American domestic and foreign policy will result in substantial economic growth."
On the topic of semiconductors, Greer said that he would be interested in reviewing the country's trade policy for possible unfair trade practices as a way to better protect the U.S. chip manufacturing industry. President Donald Trump has been critical of the Biden administration's approach to bolstering semiconductor production through federal subsidies.
"We have a relatively short window of time to restructure the international trading system to better serve U.S. interests," Greer said in his testimony. "Together we can ensure that international trade benefits American workers and their families and promotes our military, economic, and technological dominance over the long term."
Greer is taking over the helm of the office of the USTR days before new tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico are set to go into effect.
"At the time President Trump was implementing his trade agenda in the first term, inflation and unemployment went down while real median household income went up for all demographics," Greer said in his testimony. "This is the type of growth we want in America, and I strongly believe that an active and pragmatic trade policy is critical to achieving this once again.”
