Supporting America’s Digital Economy

Trade and Investment

U.S. Commerce Department Releases 50 New Reports Highlighting Trans-Pacific Partnership Benefits for American Businesses- “The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a transformational agreement that will benefit businesses and workers across the country,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. “By eliminating more than 18,000 tariffs on ‘Made-in-America’ products sold overseas, the TPP will make it possible for more of our high-quality goods and services to reach some of the world’s fastest-growing markets. In addition, the TPP reflects the highest standards on labor, the environment, and the digital economy ever to be included in a trade agreement, which will ensure that our businesses and workers can compete on a level playing field globally."

Mission Global: Vets Go Global Initiative Assists and Empowers Veteran-Owned Businesses to Expand in International Markets- Although veteran-owned firms (9.9 percent) are less likely to export than minority firms (17.5 percent) and women-owned firms (12.1 percent), veteran-owned firms that do export are often bigger and have more employees than other firms that export. Veteran-owned firms employ an average of 68 employees, compared to 42 employees for women-owned firms and 21 employees for minority-owned firms. Since only 9.9 percent of veteran-owned firms export, the Department of Commerce sees this as a tremendous opportunity to assist and increase the amount of veteran-owned firms that export through the Vets Go Global initiative, translating to an increase in bottom-lines and jobs.

United States Earns Partner Country Status at World’s Largest Industrial Event; Unprecedented Showcase Opportunities for U.S. Manufacturers- To take advantage of the partner country opportunity, HANNOVER MESSE projects the largest ever U.S. contingent to attend in 2016 to pursue business development and investment attraction.  It offers a significant opportunity for U.S. manufacturers to increase their business through export opportunities.

Market Research that Challenges Your Assumptions- Country Commercial Guides (CCG) showcase market research intelligence for 120+ countries. It’s never a good idea to select market opportunities based on faulty assumptions and hearsay.  With the CCG’s, you can get accurate, bankable information with an investment of a few minutes and a couple of mouse clicks.

Innovation

Secretary Pritzker Visits California to Highlight the Digital Economy, Innovation, And the Region’s Economic Potential- In addition to speaking at Techonomy, Secretary Pritzker traveled to Silicon Valley to meet with some of the country’s leading researchers and innovators to experience first-hand the development of autonomous vehicle technology. 

The Commerce Department’s Digital Economy Agenda- The Commerce Department makes technology and Internet policy a top priority, investing resources to address the challenges and opportunities business faces in the digital economy. Secretary Pritzker announced at the Techonomy conference in Half Moon Bay, the Commerce Department’s Digital Economy Agenda, focused around four key opportunities: promoting a free and open Internet worldwide, promoting trust online, ensuring access for workers, families, and companies, and promoting innovation.

Scholarly Entrepreneur: How One Woman Turned Her Masters’ Thesis Into a Successful IT Company- In 1997, Ideal Systems Solutions Inc. was born. Founding a woman-owned and minority-owned company in a heavily male-dominated field was challenging, but Elise Hernandez believes the skills it takes to succeed in technology transcend gender. “You have to be open to learning every day, and to reaching out to knowledgeable people,” she says. “You have to know how to surround yourself with a really strong, smart team.”

Matching Digital Resources to Small Business Needs!- The Office of Small Business Utilization (OSBU) updated their web resources with a more diagnostic approach to helping companies understand the steps to working with GSA.  www.GSA.gov/osbu takes the information that small businesses need and provides it in bite-sized pieces that are easy to process.

Workforce Tips for Manufacturers- As a manufacturer, you don’t want workers – you want company ambassadors. Workers are individuals who show up and get their tasks done. Company ambassadors are a team of employees who are enthusiastic about their careers, and they are inspired and empowered to proactively help your business grow.

Space-based Spectrum Sharing- National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), manager of spectrum use for federal agencies, has been working to make more spectrum available for commercial wireless uses while also ensuring federal agencies have the airwaves they need to perform vital missions for the American people. NASA shares this goal and has developed the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed, which has been installed on the International Space Station to research new ways to use radio spectrum more efficiently.

Data

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker Announces First-Ever Commerce Data Service- Consisting of software engineers, data scientists, computer programmers, and web developers, the mission of Commerce Data Service is to develop cutting-edge software products and web services to improve access to and use of departmental data resources of all 12 bureaus.

Announcing the Commerce Data Service- The Commerce Data Service is actively recruiting data experts, from outside and inside government, from three general professional areas: Front-End Developers, Back-End Engineers, and Data Scientists.

Taking a Look at Veterans Across America- As we celebrate those who have served in the U.S. armed forces this Veterans Day, many Americans may want to learn more about the veterans who live in and around their area. The Census Bureau released a series of infographics detailing characteristics of veterans within each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Monthly Wholesale Trade – September 2015: September 2015 sales of merchant wholesalers were $448.0 billion, up 0.5 percent from last month. End-of-month inventories were $588.1 billion, up 0.5 percent (+/- 0.4%) from last month.

Advance Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services – October 2015: Total sales for the August 2015 through October 2015 period were up 2.0 percent (±0.5%) from the same period a year ago. The August 2015 to September 2015 percent change was revised from +0.1 percent (±0.5%)* to virtually unchanged (±0.2%)*

Manufacturing and Trade: Inventories and Sales – September 2015: The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for

September, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,320.3 billion, virtually unchanged (±0.2%)* from August 2015, but was down 2.8 percent (±0.4%) from September 2014.

Commerce Data in the News:

U.S. News and World Report cites construction statistics from the Census Bureau in writing that the United States, China and India will account for 57 percent of the world’s new construction output over the next 15 years in the article America to Help Lead Global Construction Renaissance.

Bloomberg News cites the Census Bureau’s calculation of the Gini index coefficient — a ratio that measures income distribution — as well as statistics on household income and educational attainment to write that New Orleans, Atlanta and Cincinnati head the list of areas that feature concentrations of high income and low income areas and not much middle ground in the article The 10 Most Unequal Big Cities in America.

Time magazine cites Census Bureau statistics on income, unemployment, housing values, educational attainment and population estimates to write that if you’re ex-military, then want to be in Irvine, Calif.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Raleigh, N.C.; Orlando, Fla.; or Gilbert, Ariz., in the article 5 Best Cities for Veterans.

Commerce Data Officer Ian Kalin was interviewed about Secretary Pritzker’s announcement of the Commerce Data Service by Bloomberg in the article US Government Invites Silicon Valley Invasion to Harness Data.  

Data Releases Next Week:  New Residential Construction: October (Census)      

Operational Excellence

CEOs’ Top 4 Challenges and Baldrige Are a Perfect Match- The top four challenges involved human capital, innovation, customer relationships, and operational excellence. If these are your challenges, too, here’s how the Baldrige core values and the Criteria for Performance Excellence can help you deal with them.

Environment

Using NOAA Tools to Help Deal with the Sinking Problem of Wrecked and Abandoned Ships- NOAA has created several databases and resources, each created for specific needs, which are used to map and track shipwrecks and abandoned vessels.

Remembering the Veterans That Served America and the Historic Shipwrecks They Left Behind- Beyond their military and historic significance, these historic wrecks also represent an enormous human toll. Today—on Veterans Day in the United States, Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other nations—we honor the men and women who have served in the armed forces of all nations, as well as those serving in the Merchant Marine, and commemorate those who gave their lives in that service.

When Boats Don’t Float: From Sunken Wrecks to Abandoned Ships- The waterways and coastlines of the United States are an important national resource, supporting jobs and providing views and recreation. However, the past century of maritime commerce, recreation, and even warfare has left a legacy of thousands of sunken, abandoned, and derelict vessels along our coasts, rivers, and lakes.