WASHINGTON D.C. – Yesterday, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee held its confirmation hearing for Jamieson Greer as the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Greer is no stranger to U.S. agriculture or U.S. rice. In his first response to the Committee, Greer shared, “Agriculture is something that is near and dear to my heart. I was raised in northern California – and that is rice country.”
The hearing drew significant attention to the agriculture sector as Senators questioned Greer on his plans to protect and promote U.S. farmers and ranchers on the international stage. Greer, who previously served as Chief of Staff under U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, emphasized his commitment to strengthening U.S. agriculture’s position through opening markets and addressing unfair trade practices.
"American agricultural producers are the most competitive in the world and they need to have markets commensurate with that competitiveness. And to me, that means that we need to go and gain market access where things have been closed until now.” Greer further emphasized, “for many decades, we have had a trading system where the United States opens its market over and over again and others do not. In India, For example, their average bound tariff rate for agricultural products is 39%. In Turkey it’s 39.8%. These are markets where they need to open to the United States. And I think we need to use all the tools at our disposal until they do so."
Senators questioned Greer on his intention to tackle existing trade barriers including noncompliance. With the direction of President Trump’s January 20 “America First Trade Policy”, Greer was steadfast in his response that the USTR will review all existing trade agreements, including the Phase One Agreement with China, to determine where compliance needs to be enforced and other opportunities for economic incentives to bring back good paying jobs for American workers and foster balanced trade.
Senator Cassidy emphasized Greer’s previous skepticism about the need for a binding dispute mechanism at the WTO. However, he exclaimed that for years, U.S. agriculture, including the U.S. rice industry, have seen successful disputes at the WTO, but unfortunately the success fell short when it came time to enforce. Greer defended his skepticism on the grounds of enforcement measures and emphasized the need to use any tools in the toolbox to tackle trade barriers.
“We are hopeful that under Greer's leadership, USTR will get back to its mandate to negotiate and enforce trade agreements that will open markets, establish reciprocal trade rules and tariffs, and enhance opportunities for our rice industry," said Bobby Hanks, CEO of Supreme Rice Mill and chair of USA Rice international trade committee. "As India continues to violate WTO rules, incorrectly calculate their subsidies, and distort global rice prices, the U.S. rice industry calls on the U.S. government to lead the charge to hold India accountable at the WTO and level the playing field."
It’s widely expected that Greer’s Senate Finance Committee vote will occur in the near future. If he clears committee, a confirmation vote by the full Senate is expected in the coming weeks.