Trump picks veteran of first-term trade war to ramp up tariff plan

US President-elect Donald Trump on Nov 26 chose trade lawyer Jamieson Greer as his new US trade representative, elevating a key veteran of his first-term trade war against China to execute a sweeping tariff agenda that promises to upend global trade.

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"Jamieson will focus the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) on reining in the country's massive trade deficit, defending American manufacturing, agriculture, and services, and opening up export markets everywhere," Trump said in a statement.

Mr Greer, 44, served as chief of staff to then US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer during Trump's first term. Mr Lighthizer was the architect of Trump's original tariffs on some US$370 billion (S$497 billion) worth of Chinese imports and the renegotiation of the North American free trade deal with Canada and Mexico.

In this role, Mr Greer participated with Mr Lighthizer in all negotiations with Chinese officials through the signing of a "Phase 1" trade deal with Beijing in January 2020.

Under that agreement, China pledged to buy some US$200 billion worth of US goods over two years, a goal never achieved, partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic.