Today, US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker issued the following statement on the confirmation of Arun M. Kumar as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service in the US Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration.

“I am pleased that the US Senate has confirmed Arun Kumar as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service at the International Trade Administration (ITA). In this role, he will lead the agency’s efforts to assist and advocate for US companies in international markets. Promoting US trade and investment is crucial to remaining globally competitive, which is a key priority of our ‘Open for Business Agenda.’”

As the trade promotion arm of ITA, the US and Foreign Commercial Service (USFCS) provides the resources to help businesses sell to the 95 percent of worldwide consumers who live outside the US, including trade counseling, market intelligence, business matchmaking, advocacy and commercial diplomacy and trade promotion programs. USFCS is comprised of approximately 1,400 trade professionals in over 100 US cities and 72 countries who work to help American businesses start or increase exports to global markets. To learn more, visit www.trade.gov/cs .