On September 13, the Biden Administration announced ten nominations to various agencies, including Maria “Marisa” Lago for Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade at the Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) and Elaine Trevino for Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”).

Lago, who will serve as Commerce’s top trade remedy official, currently serves as the Director of the New York City Department of City Planning and Chair of the New York City Planning Commission.  Prior to the New York City posts, Lago served in the Obama Administration as the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Assistant Secretary for International Markets and Development where she was responsible for overseas development activities in conjunction with the World Bank and foreign counterparts, international financial services regulation, climate finance, trade in financial services, and technical assistance to developing countries.  Lago also previously served as the head of the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, was the Global Head of Compliance for Citigroup’s corporate and investment bank, and held other prominent posts in New York State and Boston.

Biden’s nomination of Almond Alliance of California President Elaine Trevino, who will lead agricultural trade negotiations at the USTR, has so far received considerable support from several other trade associations, including the International Dairy Foods Association, the American Farm Bureau Foundation, the American Feed Industry Association, and the National Milk Producers Federation.  In its announcement of Trevino, the White House stated Trevino “understands tariff and nontariff barriers to trade and the importance of maintaining America’s strong trade agreements and global positioning.”  Trevino previously worked on behalf of two California Governors – Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis – overseeing international export and trade programs, among other areas.  United States Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai said of Trevino that her “experience will help the Biden-Harris Administration craft durable trade policy that creates broad-based prosperity” and noted that Trevino “would be the first woman of color and the first Latina in this critical position […].”

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