Secretary of Commerce

Howard Lutnick

Republican · New York

CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald since 1992, who led the firm's remarkable recovery after losing 658 employees on September 11, 2001. Champion of Bitcoin and crypto-friendly commerce policies. Aggressive tariff advocate and chief architect of Trump's trade strategy.

Record

Aggressive tariff hawk who views trade as a strategic geopolitical tool. Champions American manufacturing revival. Crypto and blockchain friendly. Focuses on export controls for sensitive technology to adversary nations.

Legislative Record

Executive orders & directives

• 2026-15206 — Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to U.S. Navy Operations of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Low Frequency Active Sonar in the Western and Central North Pacific Ocean and Eastern Indian Ocean (Department rule, Jul 28, 2026)
  NMFS, upon request from the U.S. Department of the Navy (Navy), issues these regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to training and testing activities using Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) Low Frequency…
• 2026-15093 — Pacific Halibut Fisheries of the West Coast; 2026 Catch Sharing Plan; Inseason Action (Department rule, Jul 27, 2026)
  NMFS announces an inseason action for the Pacific halibut recreational fishery in the International Pacific Halibut Commission's (IPHC) regulatory Area 2A. This action adds fishing dates in August and September in the Columbia River and Washington subareas. These actions are intended to provide…
• 2026-15005 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska (Department rule, Jul 24, 2026)
  NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2026 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean perch in the West Yakutat District of the GOA.
• 2026-14993 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Dusky Rockfish in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska (Department rule, Jul 24, 2026)
  NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for dusky rockfish in the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2026 total allowable catch (TAC) of dusky rockfish in the West Yakutat District of the GOA.
• 2026-14942 — Implementation of EAR Export Controls on Silencers, Mufflers, and Sound Suppressors; and Other Firearms Related Changes (Department rule, Jul 23, 2026)
  The Department of Commerce (Commerce), Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is revising the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the Commerce Control List (CCL) to appropriately control certain silencers, mufflers, and sound suppressors (sound suppressors) that will no longer be described on…
• 2026-14790 — Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan; Amendment 36; Limited Entry Fixed Gear Follow-On Actions (Department rule, Jul 22, 2026)
  This final rule implements regulations for amendment 36 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (Groundfish FMP). The regulations include management measures that apply to vessels registered to limited entry fixed gear (LEFG) endorsed permits and LEFG permit owners in the Pacific…
• 2026-14697 — Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer From North Carolina to Massachusetts (Department rule, Jul 21, 2026)
  NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2026 commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This adjustment to the 2026 fishing year quota is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management…
• 2026-14671 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Pacific Cod by Catcher/Processors Using Trawl Gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (Department rule, Jul 21, 2026)
  NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by American Fisheries Act (AFA) trawl catcher/processors in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the annual 2026 Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) allocated to AFA trawl…

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