Trump's Us Trade Negotiator Pick Vows Hardline Policies

Jamieson Greer, President Donald Trump's choice to be the top U.S. trade negotiator, promised to pursue the president's hardline trade policies .

Trump's protectionist approach to trade - involving the heavy use of taxes on foreign goods - will give Americans "the opportunity to work in good-paying jobs producing goods and services they can sell in this market and abroad to earn an honest living,'' Greer said in remarks prepared ahead of his confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Finance Committee.

As U.S. trade representative, Greer would have responsibility - along with Commerce secretary nominee Howard Lutnick - for one of Trump's top policy priorities: waging or at least threatening trade war with countries around the world, America's friends and foes alike.

Trump believes that imposing tariffs - import taxes - on U.S. trade partners can reduce America's massive trade deficits , protect U.S. industry from competition, bring manufacturing back to the United States and pressure other countries onto making concessions on a variety of issues, including reducing illegal immigration and cracking down on drug trafficking.

The hostilities have already begun. On Tuesday, the United States slapped 10 tariff on Chinese imports on top of levies he'd imposed in his first term. Beijing promptly lashed back , announcing tariffs on U.S. coal, crude oil and other products, restricting exports of critical minerals and launching an antitrust investigation in Google. But the Chinese tariffs don't take effect until next Monday, buying time for the two countries to reach some kind of truce.