He committed to using USTR tools to ensure trade policy advances interests of American farmers and ranchers
The U.S. Senate confirmed the person who will lead the U.S. in trade negotiations in President Trump’s administration.
Senators voted 56-43 in favor of Jamieson Greer’s nomination as United States Trade Representative on Feb. 26.
Greer served in Trump’s first administration as the chief of staff to USTR Robert Lighthizer.
He helped negotiate and obtain Congressional approval of the USMCA and participated in every major trade action during his time at USTR.
His confirmation and experience come at an important time for U.S. farmers, said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
“He steps into the job at a critical time for American agriculture,” Duvall said in a statement. “Growing trade imbalances and potential tariffs by trading partners threaten to hit rural Americans with more economic hardships at a time when they are already dealing with high supply costs and shrinking paychecks.”
Multiple industry groups like the National Milk Producers Federation, Growth Energy, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the National Corn Growers Association, also welcomed Greer’s confirmation.
Greer is aligned with President Trump’s use of tariffs.
In a May 2024 meeting of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, for example, Greer advocated for “increased tariff usage” to level the playing field between the U.S. and China.
President Trump recently confirmed 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico will come into effect on March 4.
During Greer’s confirmation hearing in February, he received questions about potential tariff exemptions for potash, and how to support farmers if retaliatory tariffs are applied on the U.S.
Greer promised to ensure any trade policy “advances the interests of American farmers and ranchers,” and to “protect our producers against any potential retaliation.”
President Trump hasn’t yet named his nominee to be the Chief Agricultural Negotiator within the USTR.
This person is responsible for conducting and overseeing international negotiations related to trade in agricultural products.
Gregg Doud, the current president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, served in this role during President Trump’s first term.
He recently told the House Ways and Means Committee that trade policies have to keep America competitive.
“We need to ensure that today’s policies also create ample opportunities for U.S. agricultural export expansion in the coming decades as well, especially to make sure we can keep up with our competitors,” he told the committee.