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KEY TAKEAWAYS
- President-elect Donald Trump said he has picked trade hawk Jamieson Greer to be U.S. trade representative, and Kevin Hassett, another veteran of his first administration, to be the director of the National Economic Council.
- Trump’s announcement of plans to increase tariffs by 25% on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada, and another 10% on those from China has prompted the selections.
- Jamieson served as chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer in Trump’s first administration.
President-elect Donald Trump said he has picked two veterans of his first administration to key economic posts, a day after he announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico and Canada and an additional 10% on goods from China.
Trump announced that Kevin Hassett will be director of the National Economic Council and Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative.
Greer was a lawyer who served as chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer in Trump’s first administration. Lighthizer, who was key in helping to impose tariffs on China, with the goal of boosting U.S. manufactures, also helped establish the USMCA Free-Trade Agreement between the U.S. Mexico Canada. This deal replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement.
“Jamieson played a key role during my First Term in imposing Tariffs on China and others to combat unfair Trade practices, and replacing the failed NAFTA deal with USMCA, therefore making it much better for American Workers,” Trump announced the news in a Truth Social post.
Greer, an Air Force veteran and currently a partner at law firm King & Spalding, will focus, Trump said, “on reining in the Country’s massive Trade Deficit, defending American Manufacturing, Agriculture, and Services, and opening up Export Markets everywhere."
Trump Also Picks Hassett, Another Veteran of His First Tenure
Hassett, meanwhile, Trump said, "will play an important role in helping American families recover from the Inflation that was unleashed by the Biden Administration."
“Together, we will renew and improve our record Tax Cuts, and ensure that we have Fair Trade with Countries that have taken advantage of the United States in the past," he added.
Hassett “played a crucial role,” he said, in passing the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a major tax code overhaul signed into law in 2018. Next year, the tax breaks for individuals will expire.
Trump’s plan to impose tariffs against Mexico, Canada, and China is likely to escalate tensions between the U.S., its three largest trading partners who have been urging more negotiation. The tariffs, according to economists, could cause inflation and increase the prices of goods for U.S. customers. Others believe that Trump is using this announcement as a bargaining tactic in order to secure better deals.
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