Trump nominates Latter-day Saint lawyer as his trade chief

SALT LAKE CITY — President-elect Donald Trump has nominated a Latter-day Saint to a key administration position, Trump announced Tuesday evening.

Jamieson Greer, an international trade lawyer and an alumnus of Trump's first administration, will serve as U.S. trade representative, 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 would play a central role in Trump's promises to impose tariffs on goods from Canada, China, Mexico and other key U.S. trade partners.

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

Lighthizer led a historic period of U.S. trade, serving as a lead architect on the renegotiation of NAFTA and the massive tariffs on China, which sparked a trade war between the two countries.

In a statement, Trump lauded Greer's work under Lighthizer. "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 wrote. He credited Greer for helping "spur the return of Manufacturing jobs to America and reverse decades of disastrous Trade policies."

Greer, a native of Paradise, California, attended Brigham Young University, where he earned a B.A. in international studies. He has a J.D. 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, according to his law firm's website. He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brussels — one of the three cities, along with Washington and Geneva, where the U.S. trade representative oversees offices.

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

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

Greer on tariffs

In 2017, Greer told his hometown paper, the Chico Enterprise-Record, that he stands by Trump's unconventional trade views. "I agree with President Trump's trade positions," Greer said. "To be very clear, I support them."

The prevailing view in the Trump administration, Greer told The New York Times, was that tariffs "can help support U.S. manufacturing jobs in particular, especially to the extent that they're remediating an unfair trade practice." Imposing tariffs on China, for example, would work to "level out" the "playing field" in international competition, Greer explained.

In May, during a testimony before U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Greer argued "increased tariff usage" should be "on the table" to help the U.S. compete with China.

During the 2024 campaign, Trump promised to impose a baseline tariff of up to 20% on all goods entering the U.S., as well as a tariff of 60% on Chinese goods. This week, Trump said he would add a 25% tariff "on all products coming into the United States" from Canada and Mexico. The tariff, Trump stated, was in retaliation for the influx of "drugs, in particular Fentanyl" and undocumented immigrants entering the U.S. from both countries.

Officials from both Canada and Mexico quickly expressed concern over Trump's threat. Canadian officials said they would "continue to discuss these issues" with the incoming U.S. administration, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Trump on Monday evening. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested she would consider a retaliatory tariff on U.S. goods entering Mexico, should Trump go through with his plan. "The best path 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 a corner on inflation."

In his statement, Trump said Greer will focus on "reining in the country's massive trade deficit, defending American manufacturing, agriculture, and services, and opening up export markets everywhere."

Praise for Greer

It appears Greer will work in tandem with Howard Lutnick, the co-chair of Trump's transition team, who Trump nominated as commerce secretary. Last week, Trump said Lutnick "will lead our tariff and trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative."

Greer's nomination earned praise from the president-elect's allies. Michael Stumo, president of the Coalition for a Prosperous America, said he is "confident" in Greer's understanding of the threats U.S. manufacturing faces. "Jamieson's deep understanding of economic, industrial, and trade issues, especially his work to counter China's efforts to undermine U.S. economic and national security, will be crucial in this role," Stumo said in a statement.

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

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

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