President-elect Barack Obama nominated Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) Wednesday as secretary of commerce. Richardson served under President Bill Clinton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and as secretary of energy. The former 2008 Democratic presidential candidate is the most prominent Hispanic American appointment to Obama’s cabinet so far.

At the press conference in Chicago announcing his nomination, Richardson emphasized the importance of trade in lifting the U.S. economy out of crisis (Bloomberg). “Boosting commerce between states and nations is not just a path to solvency and growth; it’s the only path,” he said.

For more on Richardson’s view on trade policy, see this CFR.org Issue Tracker on the topic.