'Trump Tariff War' Commander Lutnick Confirmed as US Commerce Secretary Nominee

Howard Lutnick, the nominee for Secretary of Commerce who will lead tariffs and trade wars under the Donald Trump administration, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on the 18th (local time).

According to Bloomberg News and others, Lutnick's confirmation was approved in the Senate floor vote with 51 votes in favor and 45 against.

Howard Lutnick, Nominee for U.S. Secretary of Commerce UPI Yonhap News

The Secretary of Commerce oversees a wide range of real economy-related tasks, from fisheries management to export controls. With President Trump having announced a 10% tariff on Chinese imports, 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, reciprocal tariffs, and tariffs on automobiles, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals, Lutnick will lead these efforts on the front lines.

During the confirmation hearing, Lutnick stated that tariffs would be used to strengthen U.S. national security and restore American manufacturing and supply chains. He also said tariffs would be an effective negotiation strategy to make other countries respect the United States.

In particular, he said, "Tariffs on China should be the highest, and tariffs on adversary countries should also be the highest," but added, "It is wrong that Americans cannot sell U.S.-made cars to Europe, and this must be corrected. They are our allies, but they are exploiting and ignoring us." He also claimed, "In cases like Japan's steel and South Korea's home appliances, they have just taken advantage of us," and argued, "Now is the time for them to cooperate with us and bring that production back to the U.S." This is interpreted as meaning he intends to impose high tariffs even on allied countries.

He also expressed a negative stance toward corporate subsidies under the Semiconductor Act and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which are considered major achievements of the Biden administration, raising concerns that Korean companies that have invested heavily in the U.S. could be adversely affected.

Before his Senate confirmation on the 13th, Lutnick also attended the signing of the executive order imposing reciprocal tariffs alongside President Trump.

Lutnick is a former CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, and according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, his net worth is estimated to be at least $2.2 billion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.