Trump's Tariff Strategy Cuts Trade Deficit 24 Percent, Boosts Agricultural Exports and Manufacturing Jobs

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday, defending President Trump's tariff policies amid sharp questions from Democrats. Representative Jimmy Panetta of California challenged Greer over the use of Section 122 to impose tariffs, sparking a heated exchange, according to coverage from the hearing. Representative Don Beyer of Virginia pressed Greer on why popular tariffs are not codified by Congress, while Greer highlighted a net positive increase in manufacturing jobs in the first quarter of 2026 and stabilization after losses under the prior administration, as noted in hearing transcripts. In his opening statement, Greer emphasized Trump's reciprocal trade program, which since April 2025 has cut the U.S. goods trade deficit by 24 percent through February 2026 compared to the prior year. The USTR website reports that under Biden, the goods trade deficit grew at an average annual eight percent rate, but it slowed to two percent in 2025 and is now decreasing. Agricultural exports saw double-digit growth for corn and dairy, slashing the monthly agricultural trade deficit from 6.2 billion dollars to under one billion dollars in recent months. Greer touted nine Agreements on Reciprocal Trade and nine framework deals in the past year, outpacing the 14 free trade agreements since 1985. These pacts allow U.S. tariffs for rebalancing while partners reduce barriers, boosting exports to record highs of 302 billion dollars in January 2026 and 315 billion dollars in February. Ecuador committed to preferential treatment for over 90 percent of U.S. agricultural products, including tariff elimination on soybeans, fruits, nuts, and select dairy, beef, pork, and poultry, per Ways and Means Committee statements. Representative Linda Sanchez questioned Greer on Trump accepting a steel donation from Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal for a White House ballroom. Separately, Greer told Brownfield Ag News that ahead of the summer U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement review, his office seeks updates on rules of origin and economic security to aid American agriculture, following talks with Mexico. Thank you for tuning in, listeners. Please subscribe for more updates. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out Quiet Please dot ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.