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Donald Trump has tapped Jamieson Greer to be the US commerce consultant and Kevin Hassett as director of the Nationwide Financial Council, rounding out his financial group after launching the primary huge tariff threats of his presidential transition.
Greer, a lawyer at King & Spalding in Washington, is a protégé of Robert Lighthizer, USTR throughout Trump’s first time period, who championed the usage of tariffs and led commerce disputes with China and Europe in addition to the renegotiation of the Nafta commerce cope with Canada and Mexico. On the time, Greer served as Lighthizer’s chief of employees.
Greer’s nomination got here after Trump on Monday threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10 per cent tariffs on China on his first day in workplace, firing the primary salvo for the reason that election towards the highest US commerce companions.
On the marketing campaign path, Trump promised blanket levies of 20 per cent on all US imports, in addition to tariffs of 60 per cent on these from China, suggesting his second-term insurance policies might be much more protectionist and disruptive to the worldwide economic system and markets.
“[Greer’s] efforts underneath the previous USTR, Bob Lighthizer, a spectacular chief and individual, helped spur the return of Manufacturing jobs to America, and reverse many years of disastrous Commerce insurance policies,” Trump mentioned in a press release asserting the appointment.
Whereas USTR is accountable for commerce negotiations, it’s unclear whether or not Greer will wield the identical affect that Lighthizer did within the function.
Final week, Trump selected Howard Lutnick, the co-chair of his transition group, to be his nominee for commerce secretary. He mentioned Lutnick would “lead our tariff and commerce agenda, with extra direct duty for the Workplace of the [USTR]”, which would depart Greer with a diminished function.
Trump additionally chose Scott Bessent as his nominee for Treasury secretary final week. The hedge fund supervisor may also have a important function in shaping worldwide financial coverage.
Like Bessent, Hassett is seen as a pragmatic pick who will probably be well-received by Washington and Wall Road. Hassett beforehand served as chair of the Council of Financial Advisors throughout Trump’s first presidential time period. On the NEC, he will probably be tasked with co-ordinating financial coverage.
In his new function, Hassett, a longtime supporter of the president-elect, may also will probably be instrumental in guiding Trump on extending tax cuts which might be set to run out. Trump has additionally made deregulation a pillar of his financial agenda, particularly because it pertains to the oil trade.
Hassett — who beforehand labored with former president George W Bush and Republican presidential candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney — has lengthy been a supporter of Trump’s tariff proposals in addition to his plans to chop taxes.
In an interview with the Financial Times in October, Hassett talked about tariffs as a negotiating software and backed a powerful greenback, saying it “has been an necessary a part of the worldwide economic system for a very long time”.
He additionally mentioned an unbiased Federal Reserve was a “constructive”, suggesting he might be at odds with Trump’s curiosity in having a greater say over financial coverage selections. Hassett can be seen as a possible contender to exchange Jay Powell when the Fed chair’s time period expires in Could 2026.
“I believe that it’s necessary for fiscal policymakers to know that if the Fed’s job is worth stability, then the Fed should reply to fiscal coverage,” Hassett mentioned.
