Wall Street Journal: “U.S. Trade Representative nominee Jamieson Greer still doesn’t have a slot for a confirmation vote before the full Senate. Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick, who Trump has said will lead the trade agenda, is likely to be confirmed this week, but likewise hasn’t been in office for the major trade decisions so far.
”“In their absence, a singular figure has risen as a leader of the trade agenda: Peter Navarro, the president’s special counselor on trade and manufacturing, known for his pugnacious personality and maximalist approach to tariffs.”
“Navarro was a leading force on the president’s day-one trade policy memo, his decision to apply steel and aluminum tariffs on every trading partner without exemptions, and the White House’s recent reciprocal trade action, which will seek to equalize U.S. tariffs with the duties charged by other countries.”