The Senate Wednesday afternoon confirmed President Donald Trump‘s nominee for U.S. trade representative (USTR), Jamieson Greer. The vote was 56-43.
Greer, who previously served as chief of staff to former USTR Robert Lighthizer during Trump’s first term, has been credited with assisting in imposing tariffs on China and renegotiating the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico during the first administration. He is also a lawyer and Air Force judge advocate general’s corps veteran with one deployment to Iraq.
The Senate Finance Committee advanced his nomination with a 15-12 vote in early February despite some Democratic concerns about his support for President Trump’s trade agenda.
Greer’s confirmation comes on the heels of Trump’s promise to impose tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada.
Greer will be responsible for pursuing U.S.-international trade agreements that align with President Trump’s agenda to support American jobs and bolster supply chain resilience, which includes boosting domestic manufacturing and industrial jobs and diversifying sources for essential goods and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.
Greer also noted he would seek to balance U.S. trade with countries like Vietnam, which has a trade surplus in the country, to ‘have better reciprocity.’