Jamieson Greer, U.S. Trade Representative. Yonhap News

Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), stated on the 3rd (local time) that there is little possibility of reducing the country-specific retaliatory tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump plans to impose starting on the 7th through negotiations.

In an interview with CBS broadcast on the same day, Representative Greer said, "I don't think the retaliatory tariff rates will be lowered in the next few days."

He added, "Many of these (country-specific retaliatory tariff rates) are tariff rates set by agreements," and emphasized, "Some have been announced, and some have not. Others depend on trade deficit or surplus levels. Therefore, these tariff rates are almost finalized."

When asked if this means that certain countries cannot avoid tariffs, Representative Greer replied, "Tariffs of 10% or 15% or higher are allocated to most countries in the world."

However, he left room for negotiation by saying, "When President Trump reviews this issue, he reviews potential negotiation proposals and concessions offered by countries, compares them with tariffs that can be applied to reduce the trade deficit, and then makes a decision after consulting with his advisors." He added, "Sometimes, the country offers additional concessions to make the negotiation terms more suitable."

Regarding the negative employment figures released last week, Representative Greer stated, "Now that the tax bill (the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) has passed and we have a clearer direction for taxes, much more investment will be made. Therefore, I do not reflect those figures in tariff policy."

Regarding the U.S. Department of Labor's significant revision of job growth figures for May and June, he commented, "We want reliable data. Revisions are always there, but sometimes they go in extreme directions." Concerning President Trump's dismissal of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, he said, "The President has the authority to appoint officials in the executive branch."

Citing Canada's retaliatory measures as the reason for applying a 35% tariff rate to Canada, the U.S.'s second-largest trading partner, Representative Greer said, "The President is working to improve trade terms with Canada, and we believe there is a possibility of finding room for negotiation. If not, we will maintain the current tariff levels."

Regarding President Trump's imposition of a 50% tariff on Brazil, consisting of a 10% base tariff plus an additional 40%, he said, "The 40% tariff was imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and it is normal to use such tools for geopolitical issues."

Yonhap News