# Senate confirms Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary in 51-45 vote

*Event date: 2025-02-18*

The U.S. Senate confirmed Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary on 2025-02-18 in a 51-45 vote, placing a key supporter of President Donald Trump’s trade agenda in charge of one of the government’s most important economic departments.

Lutnick arrives at Commerce with a broad portfolio. AP said the department employs about 50,000 people and handles work ranging from economic statistics and the census to weather reports. That means the new secretary will oversee an agency that reaches far beyond trade policy, even as trade is likely to dominate his public role.

The confirmation matters because Commerce is one of the main levers in Trump’s plan to use import taxes aggressively. AP said Lutnick will likely work closely with Jamieson Greer, the administration’s nominee for U.S. trade representative, as the president pursues tariffs against trading partners on a country-by-country basis. Those tariffs are being presented as a tool to raise revenue, protect domestic industries and force concessions from other countries.

Lutnick’s hearing made clear where he stands. He dismissed the idea that tariffs contribute to inflation, which mainstream economists often argue they can do because higher import costs are usually passed along to consumers. He also backed the idea of broad, reciprocal tariffs designed to match the tax rates imposed by other countries on U.S. exports.

The political significance is not just that the Senate approved another Cabinet official. It is that Trump has now installed a figure who shares his view that tariffs are central to American bargaining power. That could have major implications for allies and rivals alike if the administration continues raising import taxes on a wide scale.

AP noted that Trump has already imposed 10% tariffs on Chinese imports, increased taxes on steel and aluminum, and threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico that were later delayed until March 4. Lutnick’s confirmation suggests the White House will have a senior official ready to help carry out that strategy.

The personal background attached to Lutnick also adds weight to the appointment. He was CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald when the firm lost 658 employees in the September 11 attacks, including his brother. AP said he later led the company’s recovery and sits on the board of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. He has also promised to sell off his business holdings, though the disclosure is complicated because he has positions in more than 800 businesses and other private organizations.

For business, trade and manufacturing interests, the confirmation is a signal that the administration’s tariff program is not merely rhetorical. It now has a secretary in place to implement it.

Claim-to-source map

  • The Senate confirmed Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary in a 51-45 vote: AP (3565)
  • Commerce oversees about 50,000 employees and functions including economic statistics, the census and weather reports: AP (3565)
  • Lutnick is expected to play a major role in Trump’s tariff agenda: AP (3565)
  • Lutnick was CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald on Sept. 11 and later led its recovery: AP (3565)