U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer walks, on the day he testifies before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policy, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 8, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer spent his second day on Capitol Hill Wednesday, testifying before the House as President Donald Trump made a significant announcement about his trade war.
On Truth Social, Trump announced that he would suspend many of his tariffs again for 90 days while negotiations occur, while at the same time raising tariffs on China.
During a hearing on Trump's trade policy, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) asked Greer if he thought Trump's "new NAFTA," the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that he negotiated during his first term, was a good deal.
"I think it was," said Greer. "There was more we should have done."
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"So, why did the president come out and say it was one of the worst deals negotiated in the history of the country?" Suozzi asked of the trade deal Trump made in 2020.
Greer said that Trump "is frustrated that five years later, steel imports from Mexico shot up."
"You think it's a good deal, but he thinks it's a terrible deal? And I think you're in a bad position, this whole idea that this president made this switcheroo on you while you are testifying here today. I actually feel bad for you. But I really feel bad for the American people who are seeing these things. There is no plan, that's my concern. I know there are goals. I want to see manufacturing brought back to America — or at least jobs that pay more money, so we can rebuild the middle class. I am for that and for holding China accountable and holding our adversaries accountable. I'm for tariffs in select specific places."
However, he said, prices are going up and the U.S. is targeting its allies while the stock market crashed over the course of several days.
"The stock market went down dramatically. It's gone up dramatically today. Market manipulation is a real concern we have to dig into, who is benefiting from the wild fluctuations down and up?" asked the lawmaker. "We are still way down. When do you plan to accomplish the objectives I know you genuinely believe in, which is to try to re-create the middle class in the United States, that on my side of the aisle, we all believe in that."
Greer testified before the Senate on Tuesday, saying that the USMCA took at least two years to negotiate, and now they must negotiate 50 different trade deals.
See the clip below or at the link here.