USTR Representative Jamieson Greer [AFP Yonhap News file photo]

U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer is increasingly asserting his influence in the promotion and negotiation of President Donald Trump’s tariff and trade policies, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 28th (local time).

It appears that Greer is gradually eclipsing the standing of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a close aide to Trump who had previously held the most significant profile among the high-ranking officials in the second Trump administration's trade and tariff sectors.

According to the WSJ, during the early days of the second Trump term, which began last January, Secretary Lutnick felt so displeased when Greer met with a high-ranking Indian economic official visiting the U.S. that he insisted the meeting be reconvened at the Department of Commerce, which he oversees.

Since then, it became customary for Greer to hold meetings with high-ranking foreign officials at the Commerce Department building under Lutnick’s watchful eye, rather than at the USTR headquarters.

When President Trump nominated Lutnick as Secretary of Commerce, he stated that Lutnick would hold direct responsibility over the USTR, and for a time, the relationship between Lutnick and Greer did not appear to be horizontal or equal.

Even during the U.S.-Korea trade negotiations, which involved trading tariff cuts for $350 billion in investment in the U.S., the key American figure was Lutnick, while Greer appeared to play a secondary, supporting role.

However, the situation has recently shifted. For example, when Greer visited India this month to discuss the conclusion of a U.S.-India trade agreement, Lutnick did not accompany him.

This served as a symbolic scene demonstrating that Greer, who was considered a "supporting actor" in Washington trade and tariff circles early in the second Trump term, has recently emerged as a "lead" in the Trump trade team.

The WSJ reported that Greer is currently playing a leading role not only in trade negotiations with Asian nations, including India, but also in the renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Furthermore, since President Trump's signature reciprocal tariff policy was invalidated by a Supreme Court ruling in February, Greer has been leading the process of introducing alternative tariffs, and he is also overseeing the establishment of a U.S.-China Trade Commission intended to manage trade relations between the two countries.

Greer is also increasingly making broadcast appearances to promote the Trump administration's trade and tariff policies.

With his austere legal image and background as a Mormon, Greer is known as a "tough negotiator" with a style similar to former USTR Robert Lighthizer, whom he served as chief of staff during the first Trump administration.

Amidst this, Secretary Lutnick, who once enjoyed the full confidence of President Trump, has recently become relatively quiet.

Allegations that a company led by his son sought to profit from buying and selling tariff refunds, along with reports of past interactions between Lutnick himself and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, have recently hampered the momentum of the once-ascendant Secretary.

In a statement to the WSJ, Greer said that he and Lutnick are "working very closely and constructively to implement the President’s trade agenda."

White House spokesperson Kush Desai also stated, "Secretary Lutnick and Ambassador Greer play distinct roles in trade discussions based on the legal authorities under their respective jurisdictions," emphasizing that a clear division of labor exists between the two.

Greer (left) and Lutnick [Reuters Yonhap News file photo]