(Photo by Ken Bosma - CC BY 2.0)

Mexico is Arizona’s biggest trading partner and one of the biggest trading partners for the country overall.

This month, Arizona Senator Jeff Flake called on his Senate colleagues to approve President Obama’s choice as ambassador to Mexico. But, what impact does an ambassador, or lack thereof, have on trade?

George Hammond is director of the Economic and Business Research Center in the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona. He discussed politics in trade and how important it is for America to have an ambassador.