On Wednesday, February 26th, the United States Senate confirmed Jamieson Greer as the U.S. Trade Representative by a vote of 56-43. This confirmation comes just days before the United States imposed tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico.
Greer is a veteran trade lawyer who worked with the Democratic Party to promote the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) during Trump’s first term. He served as a key assistant to former trade representative Bob Lighthizer and played a crucial role in imposing tariffs on Chinese products during Trump’s first term.
In the confirmation vote held in the Senate on Wednesday, five Democratic senators joined their Republican colleagues in supporting Greer’s nomination.
These five Democratic senators are Gary Peters, Elissa Slotkin, John Hickenlooper, John Fetterman, and Sheldon Whitehouse.
Republicans have highly praised Greer, including Senator Chuck Grassley, a member of the Senate Finance Committee.
“I am confident that Mr. Greer will pursue an active trade strategy, including opening new markets through new trade agreements. I also believe that Mr. Greer will work to provide a fair competitive environment for American farmers to compete fairly with Brazil and confront China,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
March 4th marks the deadline for the United States to temporarily suspend the 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Currently, officials from both Canada and Mexico are working to convince the Trump administration that their efforts to protect the U.S. border are preventing illegal immigration, fentanyl, and deadly opioid precursor chemicals from entering the United States.
Trump’s other trade agendas are still unfolding. He initiated a new tariff investigation on copper imports on Tuesday. Trump has also vowed to implement reciprocal tariffs with other countries. Greer will help lead efforts to determine higher “reciprocal” tariff rates to match import tariffs of other countries and counteract non-tariff trade barriers.
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Overall, the confirmation of Jamieson Greer as the U.S. Trade Representative signals a shift in trade policy under the new administration, with a focus on opening markets, ensuring fair competition, and tackling pressing trade issues with key partners like China, Canada, and Mexico. The political support across party lines reflects the bipartisan acknowledgment of the importance of a strong trade agenda for the United States.