Trump chooses Jamieson Greer as US trade representative and intensifies his tariff plans

US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday tapped lawyer Jamieson Greer as the country’s future trade representative, elevating a key veteran of his first trade showdown with China to execute a sweeping tariff agenda that promises to shake up global trade.

“Jamieson The Office of the United States Trade Representative will focus on curbing the country’s huge trade deficitdefend American manufacturing, agriculture and services, and open export markets everywhere,” Trump said in a statement.

Greer, 44, was chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer, Trump’s former trade representative, architect of the Republican leader’s first-term tariffs on about $370 billion worth of Chinese imports and the renegotiation of the free trade agreement. of North America with Canada and Mexico.

Trump also reported that Kevin Hassett is his choice to lead the White House National Economic Council.

Hassett led the Council of Economic Advisers during Trump’s previous term. Trump said that in the new role, Hassett would work to “renew and improve” a set of tax cuts implemented in 2017 and “play an important role in helping American families recover from the inflation unleashed by the Biden administration.”

Trump also announced several health-related nominees on Tuesday, including his choice of health economist Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health.

Bhattacharya was a harsh critic of lockdowns and vaccination orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump said Bhattacharya will work with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “to lead the nation’s medical research and make important discoveries that will improve health and save lives.”

“Together, Jay and RFK Jr. will restore the NIH as a gold standard of medical research while examining the underlying causes and solutions to America’s greatest health challenges, including our chronic disease crisis,” Trump said.

Another nomination announced Tuesday was Trump’s choice of former HHS official Jim O’Neill to serve as the agency’s deputy secretary.

Trump also said he was nominating private investor John Phelan to serve as secretary of the Navy.

Earlier Tuesday, the Trump transition team announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Biden administration on the process of beginning to work with federal agencies.

A statement from Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, said: “This commitment allows our intended Cabinet nominees to begin critical preparations, including the deployment of landing teams to every department and agency, and complete the orderly transition of power.” .

Wiles’ announcement said the transition will use only private funds and that donors will be revealed to the public.

The Trump-Vance transition team will not use government offices or technology, Wiles said. He added that the transition has an existing ethics plan and “security and information protections built in, meaning we will not require additional government and bureaucratic oversight.”

The signing of the memorandum of understanding means transition teams “will quickly integrate directly into federal agencies and departments with access to documents and policy sharing,” Wiles’ announcement said.

[Parte de la información para esta historia fue proporcionada por The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse y Reuters]

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