MediaPemalang.com – Jamieson Greer’s name may not be widely known outside international trade circles. But his decision has just affected 60 countries at once, including Indonesia. One announcement from his office, and the global trade map changes.
Greer served as the US Trade Representative (USTR). This position is not just an ordinary bureaucratic position. USTR is an institution that has great authority in determining American foreign trade policy. Every trade negotiation, every tariff, every bilateral deal, everything passes through this table. And Greer sat in the main seat.
This time, Greer announced proposals for new import tariffs on 60 countries. The reason is the failure of these countries to tackle the trade in goods resulting from forced labor. This announcement was made through the Office of the US Trade Representative, the agency he chairs.
Greer’s statement had a no-nonsense tone. According to him, the failure of the US’s most important trading partner to address the influx of goods resulting from forced labor is unacceptable. This situation, he said, creates conditions in which American workers are forced to compete globally on an uneven playing field.
The quote is not just rhetoric. This is the official justification for a policy that impacts billions of dollars in global trade. From one statement, 60 countries had to adapt. Factories in Jakarta, traders in Lagos, exporters in Tokyo, all have to recalculate their strategies.
Greer also mentioned the existence of a special mechanism for the textile sector. Some clothing and textile products are allowed to enter at lower rates. But detailed tariffs and quotas have not been announced. This uncertainty is actually a big question for textile exporting countries such as Indonesia and Bangladesh. One statement from Greer can move markets, but a lack of detail creates confusion.
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The proposed rates are divided into two groups. The first group, 15 countries that are considered to have plans or partial schemes, are subject to a 10 percent tariff. Indonesia is included, along with Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Mexico, Pakistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
The second group, 45 countries that are under investigation under Article 301, are subject to a 12.5 percent tariff. These include China, India, Nigeria, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Even close US allies such as Japan and Australia are not spared from this list. This shows that Greer’s policy does not recognize political relationships in determining who is affected.
This policy comes amidst a complex legal context. The US Supreme Court just overturned previous IEEPA-based tariffs in February. The Trump administration is turning to Section 301 investigations as a new foundation. But the European Commission has rejected it, saying this proposal does not have a strong legal basis. Greer is now in the middle of that debate.
For Indonesia, Greer’s position is very important. Trade relations between the two countries have just entered a new era with US import tariffs reduced to 19 percent. Now an additional 10 percent threatens. The decision rests with Greer and his agency. One person, one institution, one policy. And the impact is felt in factories in Southeast Asia, to the dinner tables of workers’ families who depend on export orders.***
