WASHINGTON?—?The US Senate easily confirmed billionaire investor Wilbur Ross as US commerce secretary on Monday with strong support from Democrats, installing President Donald Trump's top official on trade matters.

The Senate voted 72-27 to confirm Ross, who has been highly critical of China's trade practices and who has had a strong influence on Trump's opposition to multilateral trade deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trump has designated Ross to lead a renegotiation of the 23-year-old US-Canada-Mexico North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Reuters