June 5, 2015
Secretary Pritzker tackled many of Commerce’s priorities
this week including travel and tourism, manufacturing, innovation, trade and
skilled workforce development. These exciting initiatives are priorities within
our Open for Business Agenda and represent important tools to help American
businesses. We are excited by their progress. Secretary Pritzker is
finishing the week by representing the Department at the Washington Nationals
game and throwing out the first pitch.
Around Commerce, NIST provided a glimpse of the future of
cities; the Digit Group wrote about how important Commerce trade missions are
to their bottom line; and SelectUSA completed their Greater China Roadshow.
Have a wonderful weekend. Let’s keep America Open for
Business.
Best wishes,
Jim
Secretary
Pritzker Discusses Importance of Travel and Tourism Industry at IPW in Orlando
- On Monday, Secretary Pritzker traveled to Orlando and spoke at the U.S.
Travel Association’s annual IPW event. IPW is the world’s largest travel and
tourism trade show dedicated to the sale of U.S. goods and services. During her
remarks, she also issued the 2015 Spring Travel Forecast, which showcases
America as a premier travel destination with continued international visitation
growth through 2020.
Secretary
Pritzker Visits Greentown Labs in Boston, Nation’s Largest Cleantech Incubator
- She participated in a roundtable discussion with its hardware-driven member
companies about how to best support U.S. competitiveness in the manufacturing
sector. As an incubator, Greentown provides its 47 companies with access to
prototyping space, shared machine shop tools, services, education, and the
network they need to launch companies quickly.
Secretary
Pritzker’s Remarks at the National Association of Manufacturers Summit - During
her remarks, Secretary Pritzker discussed two of NAM’s top priorities: trade
promotion and the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank. Currently, 96
percent of the world’s customers live beyond U.S. borders, yet many American
businesses lack equal access in foreign markets. High-standard trade agreements
like the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment
Partnership are essential to addressing trade barriers, opening new markets,
and keeping U.S. manufacturers globally competitive.
Secretary
Penny Pritzker Releases 2015 Spring Travel Forecast - The Commerce
Department released new data forecasting international visitors who stay one or
more nights in the United States will reach a record 77.6 million this year –
up more than 3.6 percent from total visitors in 2014.
Secretary
Penny Pritzker Highlights Importance of Workforce Development and Skills
Training at Historic Signing Ceremony Between U.S. And Germany - Secretary Pritzker
delivered keynote remarks at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and
witnessed the signing of a joint declaration of intent with Germany to promote
cooperation in career and technical education and training. The agreement is
between the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Labor, and Education and their three
German counterparts.
Global
City Teams Challenge Expo Shows Glimpse of the Future - Guest post by Dr.
Willie E. May wrote about his attendance at a day-long celebration, hosted by
the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and US Ignite, called
the Global City Teams Challenge Expo. It was the culmination of a nine-month
challenge to create teams that would use technology to improve communities, but
it was clearly more of a beginning than an ending.
Export
Success Series: Chilean Exports Save Thirty Plus Jobs - In recent years,
American Emergency Vehicles (AEV), a custom ambulance production company based
in North Carolina, has increased exports to several countries—namely, Chile.
Addressing the growing demand for safe, custom-made emergency vehicles, Chile
has become a vital partner with AEV.
The
Digit Group: Commerce Trade Missions Provide Global Expansion Opportunities
- Guest blog post by Paul Doherty, President and CEO, The Digit Group, Inc.
about how the Digit Group has expanded business opportunities globally through U.S.
Department of Commerce Foreign Trade Missions.
Who
Thinks Crude Oil Is Delicious? These Ocean Microbes Do - There are species
of marine bacteria in several families, including Marinobacter,
Oceanospiralles, Pseudomonas, and Alkanivorax, that can eat compounds from
petroleum as part of their diet. In fact, there are at least seven species of
bacteria that can survive solely on oil. These bacteria are nature’s way of
removing oil that ends up in the ocean, whether the oil is there because of oil
spills or natural oil seeps.
Complex
Data Science at the Kentucky Derby and Other Uses of Baldrige - In trying
to determine the finishing place for race horses, a “complex exercise in data
science,” author Nicole Radziwill realized that she was essentially following
the Baldrige analysis process “LeTCI” to determine whether an organization “has
constructed a robust, reliable, and relevant assessment program to evaluate
their business and their results.”
SelectUSA
Greater China Roadshow Connects U.S. Economic Development Officials With
Hundreds of Potential Investors - Economic development officials from 11 states
and the District of Columbia just spent 12 days visiting nine cities throughout
greater China recruiting potential partners and investors to complete important
projects in their local areas. The SelectUSA Greater China Roadshow wrapped on
May 29 in Shenyang after 470 meetings and matchmaking sessions between U.S. and
Chinese officials and business leaders.
Spotlight
on NTIA: Edward Drocella, Chief of Spectrum Engineering and Analysis Division,
Office of Spectrum Management - Ed Drocella, chief of the Spectrum
Engineering and Analysis Division in the Office of Spectrum Management, has
played a key role in helping to address some of the technical challenges
associated with NTIA’s work on the 500 megahertz spectrum initiative.
Coast
Survey helps communities prepare for the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season - June
1 marks the beginning of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season. Although NOAA
projects it to be a below normal season, it doesn’t mean coastal areas will
have it easy. In the wake of a hurricane, Coast Survey plays a critical role in
NOAA’s response efforts.
The Economic and Statistics Administration wrote about Recent
Trends in Manufacturing on their blog this week.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis wrote that Disposable
Income Rises in April and April
2015 Trade Gap is $40.9 Billion on their blog this week.
Construction
Spending (Construction Put in Place) – April 2015: Total
construction activity for April 2015 ($1,006.1 billion) was 2.2 percent
(+/-1.5%) above the revised March 2015 ($984.0 billion).
Manufacturers’
Shipments, Inventories, and Orders – April 2015: New orders for
manufactured goods in April decreased $1.8 billion or 0.4 percent to $476.7
billion.
U.S.
International Trade in Goods and Services – April 2015: The nation’s
international trade balance in goods and services increased to -$40.9
billion in April from -$50.6 billion in March (revised), as exports increased
and imports decreased.
Commerce Data in the News: USA Today cites Census Bureau statistics on median household income
in writing that the average wedding in Manhattan costs $76,328 and for Chicago it’s $50,934 in the
article, Most
Expensive Places to Get Married.
The Chicago Tribune
cites residential housing statistics from the Census Bureau in writing that the
average size of homes built in the U.S. increased for the fifth consecutive
year in 2015 to a record 2,657 square feet in the article, Houses
Get Bigger, Again.
American School
& University magazine cites the Census Bureau’s annual report on public
school finances to write that average per-pupil spending in U.S. public schools
was $10,700 during fiscal year 2013, a 0.9 percent increase from 2012, in the
article, Per-Pupil
Spending Inches Up Slightly in Public Schools.
The U.S.
Export Fact Sheet press release and data within was mentioned in the Fox
Business article Trade Deficit Narrows as Services Exports Hit Record
and in the USA TODAY article Trade deficit drops sharply to $40.9B in April.
The U.S.
Under Secretary of Commerce Selig Announces Release of Guide to Help SMEs Grow
Their Businesses Through Exports press release and data within was
mentioned in the The Hill article Free
trade could bring investment, jobs to businesses like mine.
Data Releases Next Week: Quarterly Financial Report/Manufacturing,
Mining and Wholesale Trade: 2015 Q1 (Census); Monthly Wholesale Trade: April
(Census); Quarterly Services: 2015 Q1 (Census); Advance Monthly Sales for
Retail and Food Services: May (Census); Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and
Sales: April (Census)
On Monday, Deputy Secretary Andrews will deliver remarks
at the U.S.-Philippines Global Supply Chain Summit in Atlanta, GA. While there,
he will participate in a bilateral meeting with Under Secretary Maglaya from
the Philippines.
On Tuesday, Secretary Pritzker will travel to New York,
NY, to speak at the Future of Urban Innovation Summit, hosted by the Department
of Commerce and Columbia University. Under Secretary for Intellectual Property
and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Michelle Lee and MBDA
National Director Alejandra Castillo will also speak at the event.
Also on Tuesday, Secretary Pritzker will speak at a
meeting of The Business Roundtable in Washington, D.C.
On Wednesday, Secretary Pritzker will discuss trade at
the President’s Export Council meeting at the White House.
Also on Wednesday, Secretary Pritzker will discuss
U.S.-Mexico commercial relations at the U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue in Washington,
D.C.
Additionally on Wednesday, Under Secretary for
International Trade Stefan Selig will deliver keynote remarks and participate
on a discussion panel on the key role of Hong Kong in deepening U.S.-Asia
Pacific trade and economic ties during the annual "Think Asia, Think Hong
Kong" event in Chicago, IL.
Later on Wednesday, Secretary Pritzker will attend the
31st annual NOAA Fish Fry at the Department of Commerce. This event showcases
American fisheries and seafood and raises awareness of all aspects of the
fishing industry, particularly economic initiatives. Deputy Secretary Andrews
and other members of Commerce Leadership will also attend.
On Thursday, Assistant Secretary Jay Williams or Economic
Development will discuss economic development efforts and the Economic
Development Administration’s collaboration with tribal nations at the South
Dakota Economic Development Conference in Sioux Falls, SD.
On Friday, Secretary Pritzker will participate in a
swearing-in ceremony for new International Trade Administration (ITA) Foreign
Commercial Service Officers in Washington, D.C.
Secretary Pritzker and Assistant Secretary Williams are
joined by other Administration officials and German dignitaries at
the German Marshall Fund for a joint declaration of intent between the
United States and Germany to promote cooperation in career and technical
education and training.
Secretary
Pritzker and other dignitaries officially open the IPW exhibit hall.
Public
Education Finances - The Census Bureau posted a graphic that shows the
amount of money each state spent per pupil in 2013. Per pupil spending for the nation was $10,700
during fiscal year 2013, a 0.9 percent increase from 2012, but varied heavily
among states with a high of $19,818 in New York and a low of $6,555 in Utah.
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