This is a rewritten account of the Face the Nation interview with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, aired May 17, 2026, hosted by Margaret Brennan.
Brennan opened by pressing Greer on the economic squeeze many Americans feel: average gasoline was about $4.51 per gallon, consumers have spent an estimated $45 billion more on fuel since the conflict began compared with a year earlier, and the New York Fed reports households earning under $125,000 are cutting back on driving. Greer acknowledged the hardship and said the administration is trying to ease the burden while balancing foreign policy priorities. He emphasized that the president is weighing both affordability and strategic goals — including preventing nuclear proliferation — and is pursuing policies to raise wages, repatriate jobs, and lower prices on staples such as dairy and flour. Greer said the administration expects some fuel-price relief as Gulf operations conclude, but did not offer a firm timeline.
On the administration’s recent engagement with China, Brennan asked about new bilateral bodies that U.S. and Chinese officials reportedly agreed to create: a Board of Trade to manage trade issues and a Board of Investment to handle investment disputes. Greer described both as mechanisms to formalize what has largely been an ad hoc relationship. He said the Board of Trade will focus on non-sensitive commerce — agricultural products, energy, commercial aircraft, medical devices and lower-tech consumer items — while national-security–sensitive high-tech goods remain governed by export controls and other security measures. The investment board, Greer said, is intended as a forum to address and defuse investment frictions as they arise, a kind of problem-solving or ‘firefighting’ body rather than a new investment program.
Greer noted recent Chinese steps to ease some non-tariff barriers — for example, reauthorizing beef and poultry facilities — which he framed as signs that formalized discussions can facilitate U.S. exports. He emphasized that formal channels are preferable to an inconsistent, case-by-case approach.
Brennan pressed on tariffs. She asked whether the U.S. intends to restore tariff levels that had been reduced following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Greer replied that, under the current understanding, the United States retains the ability to raise tariffs back to the higher rates that were in effect after the Busan discussions in October. He said the administration is considering its tools but declined to pre-judge ongoing investigations. Greer reiterated that investigations under the government’s trade authority can lead to a range of remedies — tariffs, fees, quotas or other measures — if they find unfair practices or persistent overcapacity from China or other countries.
When asked whether new tariffs would be imposed once certain measures expire in July, Greer again stressed he could not prejudge outcomes, noting that his legal counsel advises restraint until investigations conclude. He said investigators will present options to the president if findings justify remedial actions.
Brennan questioned the durability and specificity of the economic commitments announced after the presidential meeting with President Xi, citing ambiguity around aircraft purchases and agricultural buys. Greer said the initial Boeing order — the tranche of 200 planes discussed publicly — is locked in and represents the first major Boeing purchase from China in about a decade, with potential for additional orders if deliveries go well. On other details, he said the administration planned to publish a fact sheet clarifying expected double-digit increases in aggregate agricultural purchases from China, covering soybeans, beef, grains, dairy and other products.
Greer addressed skepticism that some announcements simply restated earlier deals, noting there is an existing October agreement under which China would buy roughly 25 million metric tons of soybeans per year over the remainder of the administration. He said the new commitments are in addition to that baseline and will be coordinated through the new trade discussions.
On questions about specific items such as GE aircraft engines, Greer acknowledged that some commercial negotiations remain underway and that companies, including GE, are meeting with Chinese counterparts. He said the administration will provide clearer details soon when the fact sheet is finalized.
Asked whether the U.S. made concessions to secure Chinese purchases, Greer rejected the framing of one-sided giveaways. He portrayed the outcome as a move toward more balanced, mutually beneficial trade — not a series of concessions — and emphasized cooperation on non-sensitive items. Examples he cited include China re-registering U.S. beef facilities, readmitting poultry, and working with U.S. authorities on approvals for biotech traits so genetically engineered products can be exported without undue barriers.
Greer closed by underscoring the administration’s goal of narrowing the U.S.-China trade imbalance. He noted progress already seen — the gap has fallen by around 31.5 percent — and framed the new conversations and purchases as part of a broader effort to manage trade, protect national security, and expand U.S. exports.
This account paraphrases the exchange on trade policy, tariffs, agricultural and aircraft deals, and efforts to formalize U.S.-China economic relations discussed on Face the Nation on May 17, 2026.