Trump picks Latter-day Saint lawyer as his trade chief – Deseret News

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated a Latter-day Saint to a key government position, Trump announced Tuesday night.

Jamieson Greer, an international trade lawyer and alumnus of Trump’s first administration, will serve as U.S. trade representative and will be responsible for overseeing the country’s international trade negotiations and advising the president. The U.S. Trade Representative is a Cabinet-level position.

If confirmed by the Senate, Greer would play a central role in Trump’s promise to impose tariffs on goods from Canada, China, Mexico and other key U.S. trading partners.

Greer, 44, is a partner in the international trade team at King & Spalding, an international law firm. During Trump’s first term, Greer served as chief of staff to former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

Lighthizer presided over a historic period of U.S. trade, serving as the lead architect of the renegotiation of NAFTA and the massive tariffs against China that sparked a trade war between the two countries.

In a statement, Trump praised Greer’s work under Lighthizer. “Jamieson played a key role during my first term in imposing tariffs against China and other countries to combat unfair trade practices and replacing the failed NAFTA with USMCA, making things significantly better for American workers,” Trump wrote. He praised Greer for helping to “drive the return of manufacturing jobs to America and undo decades of disastrous trade policies.”

Greer, a native of Paradise, California, attended Brigham Young University, where he earned a BA in international studies. He holds a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law and a joint master’s degree in global business law from l’Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) and l’Université de Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, respectively Legal company website. He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brussels – one of three cities, along with Washington and Geneva, where the U.S. trade representative has his offices.

To date, Greer is the only member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that Trump has publicly nominated for a position in his administration.

Before joining the Trump administration, Greer served in the U.S. Air Force’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He was deployed to Iraq. Greer and his wife live in the Washington, DC area with their five children

In 2017, Greer told his hometown newspaper, the Chico Enterprise-Record, that he stood by Trump’s unconventional trade views. “I agree with President Trump’s trade positions,” Greer said. “To be clear: I support them.”

The prevailing view in the Trump administration, Greer told The New York Times, is that tariffs “can particularly help support U.S. manufacturing jobs, particularly to the extent that they eliminate an unfair trade practice.” Imposing tariffs against China, for example, would help “level the playing field” in international competition, Greer explained.

In May, during testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Greer argued that “increased use of tariffs” should be “on the table” to help the U.S. compete with China.

During the 2024 campaign, Trump promised to impose a base tariff of up to 20% on all goods imported into the US and a 60% tariff on Chinese goods. This week, Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff “on ALL products coming into the United States from Canada and Mexico.” Trump said the tariff was in retaliation for the influx of “drugs, particularly fentanyl” and undocumented immigrants entering the U.S. from both countries.

Officials from Canada and Mexico quickly expressed concern about Trump’s threat. Canadian officials said they would “continue to discuss these issues with the new U.S. administration,” and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Trump on Monday evening. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum indicated she would consider a retaliatory tariff on U.S. goods to Mexico if Trump goes ahead with his plan. “The best way is dialogue,” Sheinbaum said.

On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s tariff plans “could lead to higher prices just as the country appears to be turning the corner on inflation.”

In his statement, Trump said Greer would focus on “containing the country’s massive trade deficit, defending American manufacturing, agriculture and services, and opening export markets everywhere.”

It appears that Greer will work with Howard Lutnick, the co-chair of Trump’s transition team, whom Trump nominated to be commerce secretary. Last week, Trump said Lutnick would “lead our customs and trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.”

Greer’s nomination was praised by the president-elect’s allies. Michael Stumo, president of the Coalition for a Prosperous America, said he is “confident” that Greer understands the threats to U.S. industry. “Jamieson’s deep understanding of economic, industrial and trade issues, particularly his work to combat China’s efforts to undermine U.S. economic and national security, will be critical in this role,” Stumo said in a statement.

Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, expressed support.

“After years of inaction, the USTR now has the opportunity to negotiate real trade deals and enforce America’s rights under existing agreements,” Crapo said in a statement. “Jamieson Greer has extensive experience in trade policy, including in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and will be a critical partner in efforts to expand market access and level the playing field for American farmers, manufacturers and service providers.”