Why This Top Trade Representative Doesn’t See ‘Any Problems From Tariffs’

November will be a big test for President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda. The Supreme Court will be ruling on whether his usage of emergency powers to institute broad tariffs was legal. Regardless of how the Supreme Court rules, however, tariffs will remain a part of the president’s economic policy agenda.

That’s according to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who said on Tuesday at the New York Economic Club that he was confident that the court would rule in Trump’s favor. 

“Win or lose at the Supreme Court, wherever we end up, this is the structure,” Greer said. “This is how it’s going to be.”

Greer said tariffs are a necessary action to fix domestic economic struggles and stand up to China’s economic dominance, especially on rare earth mineral refining. The tech standoff between the US and China centers on semiconductor chips and rare earth minerals.

Most American semiconductor chips are made by Intel or TSMC, which is based in Taiwan. Taiwan has used this as a diplomatic shield from China, but now, the U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is pushing to reduce American reliance on TSMC. 

The U.S. government took a 10 percent stake in Intel in August. Asked on Tuesday whether there had been discussion of the U.S. government taking a stake in Nvidia, Greer said they’re “trying to get it,” but didn’t expand further.

“If you talk to President Trump, he’d love a stake in every company that’s doing well,” Greer said.

Tariffs are the way moving forward, Greer said, because “we aren’t seeing any problems from tariffs.” He cited GDP increases, manufacturing and working class wage increases, and the Big Beautiful Bill as positive economic indicators. Hiring numbers in the U.S. manufacturing industry are still down, however, and consumer prices have risen since last year.

Greer noted that jobs numbers are “going to be interesting for some time,” as immigration raids disrupt the labor market and government jobs decrease. The jobs market growth rate slowed in August, the same month that the Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner was fired by Trump for allegedly manipulating data, which economists have refuted.

Greer added that he also isn’t worried about the looming government shutdown. The entirety of USTR is essential in his view, and if the government does shut down on Tuesday night, he said The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is “going to be fully functioning.” The shutdown would delay critical labor market data if it takes effect.