(Bloomberg) -- President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is readying an announcement of Jamieson Greer as US Trade Representative, according to people familiar with the matter.
Greer’s selection highlights the central role tariffs will play in Trump’s economic agenda with the incoming president vowing to use trade policy to raise revenue for the federal government and to pressure companies to reshore manufacturing jobs to the US.
A longtime protégé of Robert Lighthizer, who served four years as Trump’s US Trade Representative and oversaw billions in tariffs on both allies and adversaries, such as China, Greer is expected to play a pivotal role in implementing the president-elect’s plans. On Monday, Trump said he intended to impose 25% levies on all imports from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% on Chinese goods, roiling markets with his first specific threats on top trading partners since winning the presidency three weeks ago.
The appointment won’t become final until announced by Trump. Greer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“President-Elect Trump has made brilliant decisions on who will serve in his second administration at lightning pace,” said Karoline Leavitt, a Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman. “Remaining decisions will continue to be announced by him when they are made.”
Greer served as Lighthizer’s chief of staff during the first term and also worked for him at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
If confirmed by the Senate, Greer at the helm of the Office of the US Trade Representative will be in charge of implementing tariff policy and negotiating trade agreements. The cabinet-level role that’s part of the executive office of the president is usually overshadowed by bigger agencies like the Commerce and Treasury departments.
Greer was intimately involved in Trump’s first-term trade policy decisions, including the steep duties on China and the negotiations for a partial trade deal that was concluded shortly before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier: What Trump’s New Tariff Push Means for the Economy: QuickTake
In testimony before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission in May, Greer said that countering China’s trade policies amounted to a “generational challenge” to the country.
“There is no silver bullet, and in some cases the effort to pursue strategic decoupling from China will cause short-term pain,” Greer said in the testimony. “However, the cost of doing nothing or underestimating the threat posed by China is far greater.”
“The focus should be on ensuring economic opportunity and mobility for American workers and their families, defending against Chinese unfair trading practices, and preventing Chinese military or technological dominance,” he said.
A graduate of the University of Virginia law school, Greer has most recently worked as a partner at the law firm King & Spalding where he handled trade litigation and negotiation. According to his firm profile, his clients include companies in manufacturing, technology, energy, pharmaceutical, agriculture, financial and investment services, hospitality, and aerospace and defense.
Trump has defended his plans for dramatic tariff increases, insisting they will help fuel growth despite warnings from most mainstream economists that the moves threaten to raise inflation and add to the US national debt.
(Updates with comments on China starting in ninth paragraph.)
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