101 - The U.S. Trade Representative

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is pushing forward with an ambitious agenda to reshape global trade rules as the World Trade Organization prepares for critical meetings this week in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The Trump administration has signaled it wants to reengage with the WTO after spending the past year largely disregarding the organization, but on its own terms.

Greer released a comprehensive reform proposal on March 23rd that challenges one of the WTO's foundational principles. The Most Favored Nation rule, which requires member countries to treat all trading partners equally, is now under fire from the U.S. The Trump administration argues this principle enables discriminatory practices and allows countries like China to run persistent trade surpluses at the expense of American workers. According to the U.S. position paper, countries need the flexibility to adjust tariffs more easily in response to economic threats, particularly from nations that export far more than they import.

The administration has also launched Section 301 investigations into structural excess capacity and production across fifteen economies including China, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, India, and several Southeast Asian nations. These investigations will examine whether government policies in aluminum, semiconductors, steel, batteries, automobiles, and other critical sectors unfairly burden U.S. commerce. Public hearings on these investigations begin May 5th.

Meanwhile, Greer is defending another major trade initiative against European pushback. The EU-U.S. Turnberry trade deal, which would reduce European tariffs on industrial goods, faces skepticism from the European Parliament. Lawmakers there are demanding that key safeguards remain intact, including a fifteen percent tariff cap that would apply across all sectors including steel and aluminum. European Parliament delegates warned Greer last week that implementing legislation could fail without these protections.

On the digital trade front, the U.S. is pushing to make permanent a WTO moratorium on e-commerce tariffs, which affects everything from streaming services to data transfers. This matters significantly to American tech companies like Netflix and Amazon. Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Rick Switzer indicated the administration will secure these protections either through international agreement or by acting unilaterally.

Greer, who was confirmed as the twentieth U.S. Trade Representative in February 2025, served as Chief of Staff during President Trump's first term. He played key roles in implementing tariffs on China and negotiating the USMCA agreement. His current mission focuses on putting what he calls America First on trade by combating what the administration views as unfair foreign practices and ensuring balanced reciprocal relationships.

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U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has been at the center of major trade actions this week. According to a USTR fact sheet, Ambassador Greer launched Section 301 investigations into 60 economies for failing to enforce bans on importing goods made with forced labor. These probes target top U.S. trading partners like China, the European Union, Canada, Mexico, and India, covering over 99 percent of U.S. imports in 2024. The investigations aim to combat forced labor, which the International Labour Organization estimates affects 28 million people worldwide.

In another move, per a separate USTR fact sheet, Greer initiated Section 301 investigations into structural excess capacity in manufacturing sectors by economies including China, the European Union, Japan, and South Korea. Sectors like steel, semiconductors, automobiles, and solar modules are in focus, as these practices create trade imbalances and hurt U.S. reindustrialization efforts.

Ahead of the World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Yaounde, Cameroon, from March 26 to 29, POLITICO reports Greer faced pressure from a European Parliament delegation. They urged him not to weaken safeguards in the U.S.-European Union Turnberry trade deal, including its 15 percent tariff cap across sectors.

The USTR released a report on WTO reform, as noted by USTR press releases and The Korea Times. Greer emphasized changing the organization for reciprocity and balance, questioning the Most Favored Nation tariff principle that limits differentiated tariffs against threats like China's surpluses. The report also critiques countries like South Korea, Brazil, Singapore, and Costa Rica for keeping developing country status despite pledges to forgo special treatment.

Reuters indicates Greer is set to attend the Cameroon meeting, where the U.S. pushes plurilateral agreements and e-commerce tariff bans to protect tech firms.

Additionally, Ethanol Producer Magazine states a new U.S.-Ecuador trade agreement includes a tariff rate quota for ethanol.

These steps signal the Trump administration's aggressive trade agenda.

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United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has led major trade actions in recent days. On March 11, Reuters reports that Greer announced two new Section 301 investigations under the Trade Act of 1974. The first targets excess industrial capacity in 16 countries including China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and others. Greer stated these probes focus on structural issues like persistent trade surpluses and underused factories, potentially leading to tariffs by summer. He highlighted China's electric vehicle expansion and European surpluses as examples.

A second probe covers forced labor in over 60 trading partners, aiming to ban imports of goods made with it. The United States Trade Representative office fact sheet confirms Greer initiated these on March 11, inviting public comments by April 15 and hearings from April 28. The goal is to address failures to enforce bans effectively, building on prior actions against China's Xinjiang region.

On March 16 in Paris, Associated Press footage shows Greer joining Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for talks with Chinese officials. Greer detailed a work plan ahead of a possible Trump-Xi summit, covering Busan agreement compliance on rare earths, expanded United States exports of agriculture and energy to China, and a proposed United States-China Board of Trade. This mechanism would formalize trade flows for mutual benefit, identifying imports and exports in non-sensitive areas.

RTV Online and Daily Sabah on March 22 note the board idea has sparked debate, with experts like Chad Bown of the Peterson Institute seeing it as managed trade to stabilize ties, though challenges remain from past unfulfilled deals.

These moves rebuild tariff leverage after a Supreme Court ruling limited prior measures, with Greer emphasizing President Trump's commitment to fair trade.

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U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has launched sweeping trade investigations this week targeting 60 of America's top trading partners. The investigations focus on whether these nations are failing to effectively prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labor. According to the U.S. Trade Representative's office, these 60 trading partners collectively account for more than 99 percent of U.S. imports in 2024. The investigations will examine whether the acts, policies, or practices of these nations burden or restrict U.S. commerce. Greer explained that companies using forced labor benefit from artificially lower labor costs and can sell goods at lower prices than they would otherwise, which disadvantages U.S. workers and exporters.

The investigations will be conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorizes action to respond to unjustifiable, unreasonable, or discriminatory acts that burden U.S. commerce. Greer is inviting public comments by April 15 and will hold public hearings beginning April 28 to gather input on each investigated economy. According to the U.S. Trade Representative's office, while some trading partners have adopted measures to stop the importation of goods produced using forced labor, none of the 60 economies under investigation appears to have both adopted and effectively enforced such a prohibition to date.

In a separate development, Greer participated in high-level economic talks in Paris last weekend alongside U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. According to reporting from the Associated Press, the officials discussed a potential new mechanism called the U.S.-China Board of Trade, which would formalize bilateral trade relationships between the world's two largest economies. The board would identify what kinds of goods the United States should export to and import from China, with an emphasis on areas of mutual benefit. Greer indicated that officials have made progress on Chinese purchase commitments for American agricultural products, energy goods, and aircraft. He noted that a detailed work plan has been concluded with the expectation that deliverables could be announced at a potential meeting between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The U.S. Trade Representative's office confirmed that discussions also covered compliance with the Busan agreement regarding rare earths and other strategic materials. These economic talks represent continued efforts to establish stability in U.S.-China relations, according to reporting from the Associated Press.

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U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is intensifying efforts to reshape America's trade relationships across multiple fronts as the Trump administration pursues an aggressive renegotiation agenda.

According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Greer met with Mexican Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard on March 18, 2026, to launch bilateral technical discussions ahead of the USMCA joint review scheduled for July 1st. During these talks, both nations instructed their technical teams to explore ways to increase U.S. and Mexican production while limiting non-market inputs in North American supply chains. The discussions focused on identifying gaps in key supply chains and developing policy options centered on economic security and rules of origin. The two officials agreed to establish regular meeting sequences to establish deliverables before the July review date.

In contrast, Greer indicated that trade talks with Canada are lagging significantly behind those with Mexico, according to comments he made on Fox Business. This disparity suggests the Trump administration may be pursuing a divide-and-conquer strategy within North America's integrated trade bloc.

Beyond the Americas, Greer is playing a pivotal role in broader geopolitical trade matters. Bloomberg reported that Greer argued it is in China's best interest to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as President Trump seeks international cooperation to restore shipping through this crucial waterway amid the ongoing Iran conflict. This appeal to China's economic interests reflects a calculated effort to leverage trade relationships to resolve global disruptions affecting oil markets and supply chains.

Greer's influence extends to fundamental questions about the future of global trade architecture. In December 2025, according to European Parliament research on WTO reform, he published an op-ed titled "Why we remade the global order," signaling the administration's intent to overhaul international trading systems away from traditional multilateral frameworks toward bilateral and plurilateral arrangements.

His upcoming speaking engagement at the Hudson Institute in April, where he will address the future of trade policy, indicates the Trump administration views trade as central to its broader foreign policy agenda. These developments suggest Greer is orchestrating a comprehensive reshaping of American trade relationships designed to enhance domestic manufacturing, strengthen supply chain security, and reposition the United States in what the administration views as a new era of geopolitical competition.

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