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US President Donald Trump’s trade envoy nominee Jamieson Greer said Thursday that universal tariffs should be “studied and considered” as a potential way to reverse offshoring and deficits, speaking at his confirmation hearing.
On the campaign trail, Trump had floated the idea of across-the-board tariffs on all US imports and if confirmed, Greer will be a crucial figure in implementing the president’s trade and tariffs agenda as US Trade Representative.
Addressing the Senate Finance Committee, Greer added that US workers ought to have a “level playing field” to compete globally, and stressed the need for the world’s biggest economy to have a “robust manufacturing base.”
Greer, a partner at law firm King & Spalding, served as chief of staff to Trump’s former trade representative Robert Lighthizer during his first presidential term.
Greer told lawmakers Thursday that the United States should be a “country of producers,” as he faced questions by lawmakers on trade.
He added that beyond the issue of reciprocity with Beijing, Washington has to have a “balanced relationship” overall with China.
