(NAFB.com) – On Saturday, August 2, the U.S. Senate confirmed Luke Lindberg as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA) with a vote of 77-18. During his confirmation hearing earlier this spring, Lindberg told the Senate Ag Committee that he supports free trade agreements that could help reverse the growing deficit. America’s agricultural trade deficit, which is the worst in the nation’s history, is driven by a number of factors, but principally by the lack of an America-first trade agenda that prioritizes market access for our farmers and ranchers, Lindberg said. For too long, we’ve let other countries access our market and not negotiated reciprocal access to theirs. Lindberg previously served as Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer at the Export-Import Bank of the United States during President Trump’s first term. Most recently, he served as president and CEO of South Dakota Trade, a public–private partnership focused on expanding international market access for regional exporters.