Marisa Lago Sworn in as Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade
For Immediate Release
December 29, 2021
Contact: Office of Public Affairs
Phone: 202-482-3809
WASHINGTON – Marisa Lago, President Joseph R. Biden’s nominee for Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, was officially sworn in yesterday. Lago will lead the International Trade Administration (ITA), the Commerce Department bureau that assists American businesses entering or expanding into international markets, enforces fair trade laws, promotes travel and tourism to the United States and U.S. products and services overseas, provides in-depth trade analyses, develops strategies that will shape the future of international trade, and engages in commercial diplomacy across the globe.
As Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Lago will lead a team of over 2,200 ITA employees across over 100 domestic offices and nearly 80 countries that represent 95 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) and 97 percent of U.S. trade. Lago will work to implement the goals of the Biden-Harris Administration by bolstering U.S. economic competitiveness, leveling the playing field for American workers and businesses, creating well-paying jobs that support American families, strengthening the American brand in global commerce, and helping American companies compete abroad.
“Given the vital role that the International Trade Administration plays in advancing the President’s agenda, I am thrilled to welcome Marisa to the Department of Commerce’s senior leadership team,” said Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo. “Marisa’s experience will be key to helping American workers and U.S. industry compete in global markets and promote U.S. products and services at home and abroad.”
“I am greatly honored to have the opportunity to serve the American people by building back a stronger and more vibrant U.S. workforce while strengthening America’s competitiveness in global trade,” said Under Secretary Lago. “Throughout my career, I have seen how sound policy, strong trade enforcement, and effective advocacy can empower generations of workers, consumers and entrepreneurs, and strengthen communities. I thank President Biden, Secretary Raimondo and the U.S. Senate for entrusting me to serve the public and represent the United States on behalf of the American people.”
Lago was born to Spanish-American parents, and a father who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and then at the Department of Defense for decades. She has a long and distinguished career in public service. Most recently, she served in her hometown of New York City by leading the Department of City Planning and the City Planning Commission. In the Obama-Biden Administration, she served in the Department of the Treasury as Assistant Secretary for International Markets and Development.
She began her career as a law clerk for a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge and later served as the Director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority and Chief Economic Development Officer for the City of Boston, President and CEO of the Empire State Development Corporation, Director of the Office of International Affairs for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and Global Head of Compliance for a major investment bank.
Lago received a Bachelor of Science in Physics from The Cooper Union and her Juris Doctor cum laude from Harvard Law School.
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About the International Trade Administration
The International Trade Administration (ITA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. ITA has more than 2,200 employees assisting U.S. exporters in more than 100 U.S. cities and nearly 80 markets worldwide. For more information on ITA visit www.trade.gov.
