WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer appeared before the Senate Finance and House Ways & Means Committees to address a slew of questions regarding President Trump’s trade agenda. Committee members in both hearings sought clarity on the Trump Administration’s enforcement of baseline and reciprocal tariffs as well as resulting negotiating objectives.
Ambassador Greer highlighted that while the large and consistent $1.2 trillion trade deficit was not created overnight, the status quo is no longer an adequate avenue to pursue reciprocity with our foreign trade partners. That is why the President declared a national emergency to address the tariff and non-tariff barriers for U.S. products around the world. Following the President’s tariff announcement last week, nearly 70 foreign countries have directly reached out to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to begin discussing what it will take to lower the reciprocal tariffs applied to their exports to the United States.
Despite the barrage of interventions from Senators and Representatives seeking assurances that the imposed tariffs would be quickly resolved, Ambassador Greer made clear that President Trump’s objective is to utilize tariffs as a tool to achieve a trade environment that will lower the trade deficit. Ambassador Greer set the record straight that the President was open to future negotiations with trading partners, so long as those included meaningful changes to address both tariff and non-tariff barriers for U.S. exports.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) recognized the work of the President to address both tariff and non-tariff barriers that negatively impact Louisiana’s rice and shrimp industries. Cassidy noted, however, that many of the agricultural tariffs foreign countries place on U.S. ag exports are much higher than the median import tariff President Trump announced on April 3. Senator Cassidy sought assurances that the Administration will be able to address the large agricultural tariff imbalances as well as ensuring that despite being a relatively small segment of the overall trade with one country, such as shrimp or rice, those product-specific barriers will not be overlooked.
Ambassador Greer made clear, “[Countries] will have specific products and specific barriers that they will have to address. The President is fixed in his purpose. He wants to see our ag producers doing well, and these countries just have to have reciprocal trade with us, and that means taking care of these [exact] types of barriers and tariff rates.”
House Ways and Means Committee Chair, Jason Smith (R-MO), highlighted the unsurprising findings in the 2025 U.S. International Trade Commission global rice competitiveness report that subsidies in India and other countries have left U.S. rice uncompetitive in the global market. Ambassador Greer agreed with Chairman Smith’s comments and committed to address India’s subsidy policies and practices in any tariff-related negotiations.
“I am encouraged by the Ambassador’s statements made to the Senate Finance and House Ways & Means Committees this week,” said Bobby Hanks, a Louisiana rice miller and chair of USA Rice International Trade Policy Committee. “While tariffs are the obvious trade barrier, we have long called for relief from the bad actors such as India, Thailand, China, and Vietnam that leverage their policies and practices that make our rice exports less competitive. For years, they have been able to subsidize their rice industries and undercut U.S. rice – both domestically and in foreign markets. I am hopeful that this Administration will use these tariffs as leverage to finally stop these bad actors and their damaging actions. Meanwhile, the steps taken toward addressing the trade imbalances should also help toward curbing some of the rice imports – flowing in from those bad actors – that have infiltrated our domestic market.”
Ambassador Greer also answered questions regarding USTR’s Section 301 investigation of and proposed actions against China’s Targeting of the Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sectors for Dominance. USTR is now considering a plethora of public comments on the proposed actions following a public comment process and public hearing. Ambassador Greer clarified that the proposed actions are just that – proposed – and not all actions listed will be implemented. USTR is expected to make a final decision by the middle of the month.
On Wednesday afternoon, April 9, President Trump announced a 90-day pause of country-specific tariffs for countries who have not taken retaliatory measures following President Trump’s April 3 tariff announcement (see USA Rice Daily, April 3, 2025). Dozens of countries have come to the table willing to negotiate reciprocal trade arrangements with the United States. The 10 percent baseline tariffs implemented on April 5 remain in effect on all U.S. imports. Effective immediately, following China’s increase of its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods to 84 percent, the United States will impose 125 percent tariff on imported Chinese goods.