Washington, DC – Climate Leadership Council CEO Greg Bertelsen issued the following statement in response to the Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing for Jamieson Greer to become the next United States Trade Representative (USTR):
“The Council strongly agreed with Jamieson Greer’s assessment of the challenges faced by cleaner American manufacturers, in which he said, ‘there’s an unlevel playing field, and I think other countries take advantage of total lack of environmental regulation […] we’re cleaner than these other places in the way we manufacture, and I think it would be interesting to explore […] how do we actually address that issue? I think we do have to think of creative notions on how to do it.’
“Mr. Greer demonstrated a clear understanding of the dynamics surrounding American industry’s carbon advantage and a sincere interest in new trade policy solutions. We welcome the opportunity to work with Mr. Greer in his exploration of trade tools that would reward superior environmental performance, enhance U.S. business competitiveness, and bring back manufacturing jobs.
“Further, the Council appreciated Mr. Greer’s focus on securing access to critical mineral supply chains—both from domestic sources and through trade relationships—as well as promoting advanced manufacturing. These elements will be essential to capturing greater share of the expanding clean energy technology market.”