April 17, 2015
This week, Secretary Penny Pritzker and U.S. Deputy
Secretary of Energy Liz Sherwood-Randall led a delegation of 24 U.S. businesses
to China on the first-ever presidentially designated trade mission during the
Obama Administration. This trade mission was part of the historic joint
announcement by President Obama and President Xi given less than six months ago
with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The trade mission focused on connecting U.S. start-ups
and fortune 500 companies with opportunities in a wide range of industries
anywhere from the technology to energy sectors. Several companies that
participated in the trade mission strongly believe that it will help the U.S.
continue to lead on tackling issues like climate change, as well as ensuring
global economic and environmental prosperity.
In other Commerce news, Deputy Secretary Andrews
presented the 2014 Baldrige Award to four organizations that are on a
continuous quest for organizational innovation and performance excellence. The
award requires an organizational commitment to excellence which is driven by
senior leadership vision, accomplished by engaged employees, and enabled by a
customer-focused culture.
Around Commerce, NOAA celebrated domestic overfishing is
at an all-time low; USPTO is hosting an IT veterans hiring fair; and EDA’s Jay
Williams visited Rhode Island to see how EDA’s investments in Rhode Island are
advancing American innovation and entrepreneurship.
Enjoy the spring weather and thank you for keeping
America Open for Business.
-Jim
Statement
by U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on the Introduction of the Bipartisan
Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 – “The world
is not standing still. Passage of this trade framework will allow us to
negotiate modern trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific and with Europe that will
open up new markets, ensure fairness for our businesses and workers, and put
more American workers in high paying jobs.”
Secretary Penny Pritzker Delivers Remarks on U.S.-China
Commercial Relationship - Speaking before an audience of Chinese business
leaders, entrepreneurs, and financial executives, Secretary Pritzker called on
China to build on the achievements of President Obama’s visit last November and
push forward deeper market reforms.
U.S.
Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker Highlights Importance of Entrepreneurship at
China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong - Secretary Pritzker participated
in an armchair discussion titled the “Collaborative Innovation Workshop” at the
China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong (CELAP) in Shanghai. Speaking before
an audience of up-and-coming Chinese government officials, Secretary Pritzker
highlighted how U.S.-China business collaboration, innovation and
entrepreneurship can benefit both economies.
Top
3 Takeaways from the Deputy Energy Secretary’s Beijing Speech - As part of
this week’s joint trade mission to China, Deputy Secretary of Energy Elizabeth
Sherwood-Randall spoke at Microsoft’s Beijing campus. Delivering remarks to
Chinese and American business leaders and government officials, the Deputy
Secretary emphasized how innovation in the clean energy space can help create
jobs, drive economic growth and address climate change -- both in China and in
the United States.
How
American Businesses are Leading the Way in Green Building Technology - From
the architectural design and landscaping to temperature control and lighting,
U.S. companies have made significant contributions to the Shanghai Tower’s
green design, which has earned a LEED Gold rating, as well as a China Green
Building Three Star rating.
Dais
Analytic Corporation Joins Trade Mission to China to Explore Opportunities for
Their Green Technology - This trade mission to China was an important step
toward introducing American green technologies to an outside market that has
that great need. Successful implementation of these technologies will benefit the
company and the American economy, but the benefits to the planet will be even
greater.
SolarReserve
Helping to Expand U.S.-China Clean Energy Cooperation to Combat Climate Change
- Tom Georgis, SVP Development of SolarReserve, writes about how the robust
solar resource and high altitudes of Western China are ideal for SolarReserve’s
technology, which is part of the reason SolarReserve joined Secretary Pritzker
on the trade mission to China this week.
LanzaTech
Sees Trade Mission as Opportunity to Strengthen U.S.-China Cooperation on
Climate Change and Clean Energy Cooperation - LanzaTech has been operating
in China since 2010 and has offices in Shanghai as well as two joint ventures
with leading Chinese steel mills, Baosteel and Shougang and joined Secretary Pritzker
on the trade mission to China this week.
Commerce
Deputy Secretary Andrews Honors Four Organizations with 2014 Baldrige Award
- Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews presented the 2014 Baldrige award
to PricewaterhouseCoopers Public Sector Practice (McLean, Va.), Hill Country
Memorial (Fredericksburg, Texas), St. David’s HealthCare (Austin, Texas) and
Elevations Credit Union (Boulder, Colo.). The organizations represent the
service, health care and nonprofit sectors.
USPTO
to Host Second Annual IT Veterans Hiring Fair - On April 17 and 18, the USPTO
OCIO is hosting its Second Annual IT Veteran Hiring Fair at the USPTO campus in
Alexandria, Va. Walk-ins are welcome.
U.S.
Fisheries Continue to Rebuild; Overfishing and Overfished Numbers at All-Time
Lows - The number of domestic fish stocks listed as overfished or subject
to overfishing has dropped to an all-time low since 1997, when NOAA began
tracking stock status, according to the 2014 Status of U.S. Fisheries report to
Congress.
U.S.
Census Bureau Marks 45th Anniversary of Earth Day - In honor of Earth Day ―
and Earth Week (April 16-22), the U.S. Census Bureau compiled a listing of key
statistics on such popular topics as renewable energy, commuting to work,
recycling and employment in the electric power generation industry.
Advancing
Rhode Island’s Innovation Economy - Assistant Secretary for Economic
Development Jay Williams wrote about his tour of Rhode Island at the invitation
of the state’s congressional delegation to see first-hand the collaborative
work taking place there to build the next generation of businesses for the
region.
Dow
Chemical Invests in Employees and the U.S. - Deborah Borg, President of Dow
USA, writes about her meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Industry and Analysis Marcus Jadotte and Dow employees to discuss the role
trade has played in helping Dow grow, innovate, and support their U.S.
workforce.
Chief Economist Sue Helper wrote about The
New Spirit of Sustainable Business: Prosper by 'Doing Good' as Commerce
Department Launches First of Five Natural Capital Business Round Tables on ESA’s
blog this week.
Building
permits in March 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of
1,039,000, down 5.7 percent from the revised February rate but up 2.9 percent
from March 2014. Housing starts in March 2015 were at a SAAR of 926,000, up 2.0
percent from February and up 2.5 percent from March 2014.
February 2015 business
inventories were $1,790.2 billion, up 0.3 percent from January and up 3.3
percent from February 2014. Sales were
$1,313.1 billion, virtually unchanged from the previous month but down 1.2
percent from one year earlier.
March 2015
retail and food services sales were $441.4 billion, an increase of 0.9
percent from February 2015 and up 1.3 percent from March 2014. Excluding automobiles, retail and food
services sales in March 2015 were $349.7 billion, up 0.4 percent from the prior
month and up 0.3 percent from one year earlier.
Commerce Data in the News:
BEA’s personal income data was mentioned in a recent
article by Bloomberg: Detroit
Races San Jose for Tech as Snyder Sees Jobs Convergence.
U.S. News &
World Report cites Census Bureau statistics on college enrollment and
educational attainment to write that the U.S. will face a shortfall of nearly
20 million college credentials in 10 years in the article College
Attainment Progress Won’t Meet 2025 Goal.
NBC News cites Census Bureau
statistics on ancestry and country of origin to write that a record
3.8 million black immigrants are living in the U.S., and while most are from
the Caribbean, Africans immigrants drive most recent growth in the article 9 Percent of U.S. Black Population is
Foreign-Born.
Data Releases Next Week: New
Residential Sales: March (Census); Advance Report on Durable Goods: March
(Census)
Continuing his policy and commercial diplomacy trip
through Thursday to UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, the Under Secretary for
International Trade Stefan Selig will participate in a series of meetings with
both public and private sector leaders. During his meetings, Under Secretary Selig
will acknowledge the strength of U.S. commercial ties with all three countries,
as well as explore ways to spur greater trade and investment.
On Monday, Deputy Secretary Andrews will speak about the
Obama administration’s efforts to help businesses increase exports and enter
new markets at the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce’s
Capitol-to-Capitol program kick off in Washington, D.C.
Also on Monday, USPTO Director Michelle K. Lee will speak
at an awards ceremony honoring the winners of the 2015 Patents for Humanity program
in Washington, D.C.
On Tuesday, Secretary Penny Pritzker will give the
keynote speech at the American Meteorological Society Washington Forum.
Also on Tuesday, Deputy Secretary Andrews will
participate in a panel discussion on “Innovation as a Driver of Development in
the Americas” at the 45th Washington Conference on the Americas hosted by the
Council of the Americas at the State Department in Washington, D.C.
On Wednesday, MBDA National Director Alejandra Castillo
will participate on the “Current and Future State of Minority Business” panel
at the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 11th Annual Economic Forum
Breakfast in Detroit, MI.
On Thursday, Secretary Penny Pritzker will speak on a
panel at the Ex-Im Bank Conference in Washington, DC. The panel topic is “The
Next Big Thing: Prospects for Growth in 2015.”
Also on Thursday, Under Secretary for Economic Affairs
Mark Doms and Chief Data Officer Ian Kalin will co-host the inaugural Commerce
Data Advisory Council meeting from April 23-24 at Google Headquarters in
Washington, D.C. Secretary Pritzker will
be speaking on the first day of the meeting.
On Friday, Secretary Penny Pritzker will give the keynote
speech at the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) in
Chicago, IL. SABEW is a coalition of business journalists in common pursuit of
the highest standards of economic journalism, through both individual and
collective efforts.
Deputy Energy Secretary Sherwood-Randall tours
Microsoft's Beijing Campus with Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker before
delivering remarks.
Bonus Photo of the
Week:
Secretary Pritzker, Deputy Secretary Sherwood-Randall,
and Ambassador Baucus join
the leaders from 24 U.S. businesses on a Business Development Trade Mission
to China.
Sustainable
Jobs - Looking ahead to Earth Day on April 22, the Census Bureau posted a
graphic that shows the number of employees in electric power generation
industries that use renewable energy resources.
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