National Apprenticeship Week

Trade and Investment

Statement by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker on the Release of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Text- The text of the TPP is now live online and available for anyone to read. At the Department of Commerce, part of our job is to help individuals and businesses across the country understand the real benefits of the agreement, using data to demonstrate the potential impact of TPP on individual states and industry sectors.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman to Convene 26th Session of U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade-Secretary Pritzker and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman will co-lead a high-level U.S. Government delegation for the 26th session of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT), November 21-23, in Guangzhou, China. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will also take part in the dialogue to address key agricultural trade issues between the two countries.  The Chinese Government delegation will be led by Vice Premier Wang Yang.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker Visits Berlin and Frankfurt, Germany- Secretary Pritzker traveled to Berlin and Frankfurt, Germany to underscore the strength of the U.S.-German partnership and address some of our top shared priorities, including concluding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; fostering an open, innovation-based transatlantic digital economy; and supporting an independent Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker Delivers Remarks at the Bureau of Industry and Security Annual Update Conference- In her remarks Secretary Pritzker said, “BIS is an agency with little visibility in the public eye, but with an enormous influence on the safety of our nation and a tremendous impact on our country’s competitiveness.”

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews to Travel to Philippines for APEC CEO Summit- Initiated in the Philippines in 1996, the APEC CEO Summit is the premier business forum in the Asia Pacific region. Bringing together global business executives, economic leaders and policy makers, it is the only platform where the business community can engage with the APEC Economic Leaders.

U.S. Department of Commerce Reports Showcase Benefits of Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement for U.S. Businesses and Workers in 15 Industry Sectors- Secretary Pritzker released two TPP Opportunities Industry Reports that spotlight key market access benefits and commitments of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The reports detail how eliminating various tariffs in respective industry sectors will benefit American companies trying to compete in TPP markets.

Welcome and Congratulations to Lufthansa Technik!- A gleaming new 215,000 square foot hangar that is serving short and medium haul aircraft, with more than 200 people employed on site.  Lufthansa has also built the foundation for a long-term workforce development partnership with the University of Puerto Rico and the Commonwealth's Department of Education. Lufthansa anticipates offering high-skilled jobs for 400 local employees by early 2017, with an estimated economic impact of $2.2 billion during the next 30 years. This investment is creating new jobs with valuable training and opportunities for growth, and that means a lot to the families here.

The U.S. Commercial Service helps Western Shelter Systems export, reduce time to market and avoid mistakes- (Guest blog by Brice Barrett, Director of Sales for Western Shelter Systems) When I joined the company in 2013, my first priority was to identify the most appropriate export markets for our products in Latin America. I contacted the U.S. Commercial Service (CS) for assistance. I worked with Latin America specialists in Washington, D.C., and CS trade specialists in Portland to develop a data-driven methodology for selecting export markets. We analyzed key criteria across a number of markets and determined that Brazil, Chile, and Argentina represented the best prospects for us in Latin America.

Innovation

Five Things Entrepreneurs Should Know About Export Controls- The top five things entrepreneurs should know about export controls: BIS offers services for understanding export controls, export controls affect high tech industries, including items for commercial as well as military use, exports to certain countries may be uniquely affected by export controls, export controls may affect companies and research institutions who employ foreign nationals or who collaborate with foreign nationals on research, even within the United States, and there are exceptions.

How I Know #ApprenticeshipWorks- (Guest blog post by Secretary of Labor Tom Perez. The following is a cross-post from the Department of Labor in recognition of National Apprenticeship Week) Apprenticeship is a critical on-ramp to a skills superhighway. It’s a proven path for workers into the middle class and an effective strategy for businesses to train for the skills they need. To support and encourage apprenticeship programs, President Obama has proclaimed Nov. 1-7 as National Apprenticeship Week.

U.S. EDA: Promoting Entrepreneurship and Innovation Across Every Community in America- Entrepreneurship is a driving force in the new economy. While debates continue around whether entrepreneurs are born or can be created, one thing is clear: people learn a great deal from the experiences of others. Entrepreneurs especially learn a great deal “on the job” and often find inspiration and mentorship from those who have “been there, done that.”

Communities That Work Partnership - "Leveraging the Lens of Industry in Workforce Development"- (Guest blog post by Dennis Elsenbeck, Regional Director, National Grid) Workforce and talent development is both a personal passion for me, and a strategic objective of my employer, National Grid. The company is active in numerous workforce development oriented activities throughout our U.S. service areas, mainly in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines.

U.S. EDA: Supporting Entrepreneurship as a Key Driver of Economic Opportunity and Job Growth in Baltimore- (Guest Blog Post by Jay Williams) I was pleased to travel to Baltimore where I was joined by National Urban League (NUL) President & CEO Marc Morial and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to announce a $300,000 U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) investment in the NUL that will help to establish a new Entrepreneurship Center Program. The program will provide critical training and technical assistance to those negatively impacted financially by the unrest.

Minority Finance Forum: Growth Financing for Middle Market MBEs- MFF featured panel discussions and extensive networking at the Untitled Supper Club in Chicago, Illinois, with the connection event the next day at Navy Pier presenting over 200 investment bankers, private equity, and other capital sources looking to make deals with businesses and amongst themselves.

Secretary Pritzker Delivers Keynote Remarks at 89th Annual Membership Meeting for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association - NEMA represents electrical equipment and medical imaging manufacturers and has worked with the Department of Commerce for decades on issues including workforce development, innovation, and expanding trade and exports.

Data

Doing More with Data- Leaders from the nation’s technology and data industries came together on Oct. 29-30 for the third meeting of the Commerce Data Advisory Council (CDAC) in Boulder, Colorado.  This meeting focused on three main themes: 1) organizing and disseminating troves of environmental data; 2) developing the expertise within government to maximize the value of all the data collected by federal agencies; and 3) ensuring our data and other cyber assets are protected from external threats.

U.S. Census Bureau Releases Key Statistics in Honor of American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month- The U.S. Census Bureau released key statistics in honor of American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, which began November 1, 2015. American Indian and Alaskan Native is one of the six major race categories classified by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

Measuring Race and Ethnicity Across the Decades: 1790-2010 — Over the years, the Census Bureau has collected information on race and ethnicity. The census form has always reflected changes in society, and shifts have occurred in the way the Census Bureau classifies race and ethnicity. Historically, the changes have been influenced by social, political and economic factors including emancipation, immigration and civil rights. A new interactive visualization released today shows how race and ethnicity categories have changed over time since the first census in 1790.

The Economic and Statistics Administration wrote about Drilling into 'Fab' Metals on their blog this week.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis wrote that Finance and Insurance Led Growth in the Second Quarter: Gross Domestic Product by Industry and the September 2015 Trade Gap is $40.8 Billion on their blog this week.

Construction Spending (Construction Put in Place) – September 2015: Total construction activity for September 2015 ($1,094.2 billion) was 0.6 percent above the revised August 2015 ($1,087.5 billion) figure.

Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders – August 2015: New orders for manufactured goods in September decreased $4.7 billion or 1.0 percent to $466.3 billion.

U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services – August 2015: The nation’s international trade balance in goods and services increased to -$40.8 billion in September from -$48.0 billion in August (revised), as exports increased and imports decreased.

Final U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products – September 2015: Total selected commodities for September 2015 decreased to 2.57 billion metric tons at a value of $2.05 billion, down from the August 2015 total of 2.78 billion metric tons at a value of $2.18 billion.

Commerce Data in the News:

USA Today uses Census Bureau statistics on population, unemployment, household income, poverty, home values and educational attainment to rank Meridian, Idaho; Danbury, Conn.; and Johns Creek, Ga., as the top three places to be in the article, America’s Best Cities to Live In.

Time magazine cites American Community Survey statistics from the Census Bureau to write that more than 60 million people over the age of 5 speak a language other than English in the article, Americans Speak Over 350 Languages at Home.

NBC News cites Census Bureau population estimates and projections, as well as race and ethnicity data, to write that the percentage of whites in America will drop from 61.7 percent to 61.2 percent by Election Day 2016 in the article, Changing Demographics Tilt Toward Democrats – Eventually.

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis’ data on U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services (September 2015) is highlighted in a recent Fox Business article: U.S. September Trade Deficit Smallest in Seven Months.

NOAA scientist discussed the unusual weather events being caused by the warming of the Pacific ocean and the myriad causes of this condition in a recent New York Times article, The Pacific Ocean Becomes a Caldron.

NOAA atmospheric scientists discussed the various atmospheric conditions that determine the first snow of the year in a given locality in a recent USA TODAY article, When can you expect your first snowfall of the season?

NOAA Fisheries scientists' rescue of a humpback whale off the coast of California was discussed ina recent Associated Press article in the scientific blog, Mashable, Rescuers untangle humpback whale stranded in hundreds of feet of fishing line                      

Data Releases Next Week: Monthly Wholesale Trade: September (Census); Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services: October (Census); Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales: September (Census)  

Operational Excellence

Forget Winning; Think Improving- In a recent interview, Robert “Rusty” Patterson, chairman and CEO of the National Council for Advanced Manufacturing (NACFAM), said, “What I tell people is you ought to use the Baldrige Criteria to turn a mirror on yourself. You don’t have to win a Baldrige Award. . . . The real key is that you can put that mirror on yourself and get some examiners to come in and evaluate what you’re doing because sometimes it’s hard for you to do this. It’s an excellent criteria [framework that helps you say] you’re doing a lot of the right things, but here are some areas where you can improve.”

Environment

New Report Finds Human-Caused Climate Change Increased the Severity of Many Extreme Events in 2014- Human activities, such as greenhouse gas emissions and land use, influenced specific extreme weather and climate events in 2014, including tropical cyclones in the central Pacific, heavy rainfall in Europe, drought in East Africa, and stifling heat waves in Australia, Asia, and South America, according to a new report released.

Studying the Use of Satellite-Derived Bathymetry as a New Survey Tool- Nautical charts are an important tool in navigating safely in coastal waters, and Coast Survey’s mission is to keep these charts up to date. However, maintaining accurate charts can be a challenge in locations where sandy shoals may shift seasonally and present a danger to navigation. Office of Coast Survey and NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson are seeking a solution to this ongoing problem and may have an answer with satellite-derived bathymetry.

Births Down and Deaths Up in Gulf Dolphins Affected by Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill-This trend of reproductive failure and death in Gulf dolphins over five years of monitoring after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill is outlined in a November 2015 study led by NOAA and published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the Royal Society.