Commerce at a Glance: October 15, 2021

Manufacturing Month: Deputy Secretary Don Graves Stresses Administration’s Commitment to Equitable Workforce Training in Ohio: Announces $3.6 Million Grant for Workforce Development Facility in Cleveland

In honor of Manufacturing Month, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves traveled to Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio from October 6-8, where he addressed the Administration’s commitment to closing the labor gap and putting Americans back to work in the wake of the pandemic. While there, Deputy Secretary Graves announced a $3.6 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to establish an adult technical training and workforce development facility in Cleveland. 

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 NOAA Upgrades Climate Website Amid Growing Demand for Climate Information

NOAA’s Climate Program Office recently launched a newly redesigned version of Climate.gov, NOAA’s award-winning, flagship website that provides the public with clear, timely, and science-based information about climate.

“Not only is the climate crisis costing us American lives, with countless families being tragically torn apart by these extreme weather events, but it’s also costing us billions of dollars, with a price tag of over $96 billion last year alone. That number will only get bigger, and the climate events will only get deadlier if we do not act,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “The Commerce Department, including NOAA, will use all of the tools at its disposal to address these challenges. Climate.gov is the nation’s leading online resource for advancing climate literacy and building resilience to climate impacts. The improved Climate.gov is an asset for families, communities, and businesses. We will continue to work to make NOAA’s data as accessible and impactful as possible.”

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Secretary Raimondo, Administration Leaders Applaud President Biden’s Restoration of National Monuments

President Biden took action to restore protections to three national monuments that had been dismantled by the previous administration.

“Fully restoring the protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument underscores the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to conservation,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “The rich diversity of species in the monument include rare and endangered marine life—from deep-sea corals and fish, to whales and sea turtles—that continue to be threatened by the climate crisis. With this proclamation we acknowledge the importance to protecting their ongoing contributions to scientific knowledge, ecosystem health, and the sustainability of our planet.”

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Department of Commerce Releases Climate Action Plan for Adaptation and Resilience

Alongside more than 20 major federal agencies as part of President Biden’s whole of government approach to confronting the climate crisis, the Department of Commerce released its Climate Action Plan for Adaptation and Resilience on October 7, 2021.

With a substantial portion of the United States gross domestic product dependent on weather and climate, supporting economic growth and resiliency and equitably managing risks and opportunities requires reliable and timely climate information and services and the capacity to apply this information in decision-making. 

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Commerce Department, Biden Administration Take Action on Semiconductor Chip Shortage

Supply chain issues have been a key challenge coming out of this unprecedented economic crisis resulting from this pandemic. For months, the Biden-Harris Administration has been engaged in a whole-of-government response, led by the Secretaries of Commerce, Transportation, and Agriculture.

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U.S.-Singapore Partnership for Growth and Innovation: A Joint Statement by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong signed a Memorandum of Understanding implementing the U.S.-Singapore Partnership for Growth and Innovation (the Partnership), which aims to strengthen U.S.-Singapore trade and investment collaboration. The Partnership expands and elevates work done under the U.S.-Singapore Infrastructure Collaboration Platform Memorandum of Understanding launched in 2016 and renewed in 2018.

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Commerce Establishes Early Alert System to Improve Semiconductor Supply Chains

Recently, in response to concerns from U.S. manufacturers dependent on the semiconductor industry and in support of President Biden’s ongoing commitment to address semiconductor supply chain challenges, the Department of Commerce established the Microelectronics Early Alert System, which will be administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration.

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The $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge will provide a transformational investment to 20-30 regions across the country that want to revitalize their economies. These regions will have the opportunity to grow new regional industry clusters or scale existing ones through planning, infrastructure, innovation & entrepreneurship, workforce development, access to capital, and more.
Phase 1 deadline: October 19, 2021

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Much of the nation’s population growth in recent decades occurred in metro areas – now home to 86% of the U.S. population. Despite that, smaller towns still account for a significant portion of the population in many states and remain substantial contributors to the U.S. economy.

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Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the second quarter of 2021, as real GDP for the nation increased at an annual rate of 6.7 percent. The percent change in real GDP in the second quarter ranged from 9.7 percent in Nevada to 1.8 percent in Alaska.

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Elementary and secondary school revenues and spending increased in most areas in fiscal year (FY) 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of School System Finances released earlier this month.

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