July 25, 2014
Good evening from the Department of Commerce.
We are happy to announce Bruce Andrews as the newly
confirmed Deputy Secretary of the Department of Commerce. As the Department’s
Chief of Staff for the last two and a half years, Bruce has played an integral
role in the implementation of initiatives that help businesses create jobs and
strengthen our economy. Congratulations, Bruce!
The Commerce Department is also busy preparing for the
U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, which will take place in Washington, DC from August
4-6. As part of the Summit, the U.S. Department of Commerce and Bloomberg
Philanthropies will co-host the first-ever U.S.-Africa Business Forum on August
5, a day focused on trade and investment opportunities. The Forum will convene
heads of state and business executives from both sides of the Atlantic to further
strengthen the commercial ties between the United States and Africa.
Next week, Secretary Pritzker will join Secretary of
State, John Kerry, for the U.S-India Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi to
strengthen economic ties and increase collaboration between the U.S and the
newly-elected Indian government.
Best,
Justin
Commerce
Joins Federal Partners to Present Job Training Programs Review - In our
“Open for Business Agenda,” the Department of Commerce is making workforce
development a top priority for the first time ever. While the Department does
not directly fund job training programs, many of our initiatives support
efforts to match workers to local industry needs.
U.S.-Africa
Business Success Stories: How a Texas Oil Company Started Doing Business in
Cameroon and Morocco - Africa is now home to six of the top ten fastest-growing
economies in the world, leading President Obama to call sub-Saharan Africa the
“world’s next major economic success story”. The Department of Commerce is
working to facilitate and advocate for American businesses in this growing
region and U.S. firms are eager to help unlock even more of Africa’s economic
potential.
New
BEA Data Provide Insights on How Harsh Winter Impacted Industries in First
Quarter - Severe weather conditions can have both positive and negative
(although mostly negative) effects on the Nation’s economic performance. For
some industries, such as “agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting” and
“construction” it is intuitive, while for other industries, such as “mining,”
and “nondurable-goods manufacturing,” the link may not be as intuitive.
U.S.-Africa
Business Success Stories: A Kodak Moment: How the Department of Commerce
Brokered a Deal between Eastman Kodak and an Egyptian Bank - Africa’s
potential as the world’s next major economic story is why businesses in the
United States, like Kodak, want to offer their products, services, and
expertise to help unlock even more of Africa’s potential – and the Obama
Administration and Department of Commerce are committed to helping these
exporting businesses each step of the way.
NOAA
and Partners Provide Real-time Information to Keep Economic Activity Flowing in
Port of Jacksonville - Jacksonville PORTS® will provide mariners with
better maritime information about currents and water levels so they can
navigate more efficiently and safely. PORTS®, combined with up-to-date nautical
charts and precise positioning information, can provide mariners with a clearer
picture of the potential dangers in the water.
Supporting
the Best Environment for U.S. Exporters - To promote professional
development and to make sure our specialists stay on top of the latest business
trends and opportunities, our teams come together to share lessons learned,
study best practices, and discuss ways their industry is changing.
Census
Bureau Updates Interactive HIV/AIDS Database; New Prevalence Estimates from
More Than 100 Countries - The Census Bureau’s HIV/AIDS database is the
world’s only resource that consolidates HIV/AIDS information for policymakers,
academics and health care professionals who conduct research to help end the HIV/AIDS
epidemic.
SEWW
Energy, Inc. Inks a $175 Million Deal Spanning Seven Years Following West
Africa Trade Mission with Commerce Department - Within the seven-year time
frame, SEWW Energy is authorized to provide products and services in support of
the project that will include network transmission, the rebuilding of
substations, and the design of smart grids.
Census
Bureau Releases Disability Facts and Figures in Recognition of ADA Anniversary
- In preparation for the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) on July 26, the U.S. Census Bureau released its collection of the most
recent data pertaining to Americans with disabilities.
FirstNet:
Deploying a Resilient Broadband Network for the Nation’s First Responders -
America’s first responders deserve the very best tools to do their jobs and
save lives. The FirstNet network will do just that - deliver nationwide
broadband network that provides modern technology, devices, and priority access
during emergencies.
Working
to Ensure Public Safety Has Cutting-Edge, Reliable Communications - The
U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) is working to ensure our nation’s first responders have
access to the most advanced communications when responding to an emergency or
natural disaster.
Under Secretary Doms wrote Panelists,
Audience Provide Feedback on the Value of Census Data at ESRI Conference on
his blog this week.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis wrote New
BEA Data Provides Insights on How Harsh Winter Impacted Industries in First
Quarter , Gross
Domestic Product by Industry: First Quarter 2014 as well as Measurement
of the U.S. Economy is a Job that Never Stops; Here’s Why GDP Numbers Get
Revised on their blog this week.
Sales
of new single family houses in June 2014 were 406,000 at a seasonally
adjusted annual rate, down 8.1 percent from May’s revised rate and down 11.5
percent from June 2013.
New
orders for manufactured durable goods in June 2014 increased 0.7 percent,
to $239.9 billion. Excluding transportation, new orders rose 0.8 percent.
Overall shipments increased 0.1 percent, while capital goods shipments rose 1.0
percent. Unfilled orders rose 0.8 percent, and inventories increased 0.4
percent in June 2014.
U.S. new
residential sales for June were at a seasonally adjusted rate of 406,000.
This is 8.1 percent below the revised May 2014 estimate of 442,000.
June 2014 new orders for manufactured durable
goods increased 0.7
percent, to $239.9 billion. Shipments increased 0.1 percent, to $238.2 billion.
Unfilled orders rose 0.8 percent to $1,096.8 billion and inventories increased
0.4 percent, to $399.7 billion.
Commerce Data in the News:
The International
Trade Administration’s data on the US-Africa Business Forum was highlighted in
the Washington Post article; Obama’s Africa Summit Set to See $900m+ in
Deals Announced.
The International Trade Administration’s data on tourism
and travel featured in the CBS News article; Tourists
from the Far East flocking to the U.S. Northeast.
Wall Street Journal
cites a Census Bureau poster presented at the Population Association of
America (PAA) based on American Community Survey data to write that millennials
get flack for postponing marriage, but what’s less discussed is how, to some
extent, they’re just responding rationally to their local housing markets in
the article, When it Comes to Housing, Maybe Millennials
Aren’t so Different After All.
Data
Releases Next Week: Housing Vacancies and Homeownership: 2014 Q2
(Census); Gross Domestic Product: 2014 Q2 (Advance) (BEA); Construction Put in
Place: June (Census); Personal Income: June (BEA)
On Monday, Secretary Pritzker will join Secretary of
State John Kerry for the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi. Secretary
Pritzker will lead discussions aimed at helping strengthen economic ties
between the U.S. and India through collaboration in several key sectors. Their
trip will mark the first U.S. Cabinet-level visit to New Delhi since the new
Indian government was elected. Prior to the Strategic Dialogue, Secretary
Pritzker will visit Mumbai for meetings with Indian business leaders.
Also on Monday, Under Secretary for International Trade
Stefan Selig will travel to Minneapolis, MN., to meet with local U.S. Export
Assistance Center (USEAC) staff,
participate in the District Export Council (DEC) luncheon, and attend
the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB) meeting.
On Tuesday, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
will host their annual Update Conference on Export Controls and Policy in
Washington, DC. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and Under Secretary
for Industry and Security (ITA), Eric Hirschhorn, are scheduled to deliver
remarks at the event on Tuesday. Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Bruce Andrews,
will deliver remarks at the conference on Wednesday.
Also on Tuesday, NTIA Deputy Administrator and Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, Angela Simpson, will
attend the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) 2014 Access to
Capital Conference in Washington, D.C. She will participate on a panel entitled
“Big Data, Surveillance, Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Identity Theft: Impacts on
People of Color.”
On Wednesday, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Internet
Policy Task Force (IPTF) will hold public roundtables in Los Angeles on Tuesday
and in Berkeley, CA, on Wednesday to solicit input on the legal framework for
the creation of remixes, the relevance and scope of the first sale doctrine in
the digital environment, and the appropriate calibration of statutory damages
in the contexts of individual file sharers and of secondary liability for
large-scale infringement.
Also on Wednesday, NIST will host the Second Disaster
Resilience Workshop at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. This
workshop will be a working meeting for sector-based resilience experts and
leaders to directly contribute to the Disaster Resilience Framework.
On Thursday, MBDA will hold its annual National Minority
Enterprise Development (MED) Week Conference at the Washington Hilton Hotel in
Washington, D.C. The conference is the nation's premier event for minority
businesses and the public and private sectors. The 2014 National MED Week
Conference offers a venue for minority-owned firms to access information,
tools, and resources to grow their businesses both domestically and
internationally. National Director of MBDA, Alejandra Castillo, will deliver
opening remarks at the conference and awards ceremony. Deputy Secretary of
Commerce, Bruce Andrews, will deliver keynote remarks and present MED Week
Awards to recipients.
Also
on Thursday, Census Bureau Director John Thompson will attend the Virginia Tech
Alumni in Leadership Roles Panel Discussion at the Virginia Tech Research
Center in Arlington, VA. He will participate in a panel discussion titled
“Leadership and Public Service in the National Capital Region: A forum for
Hokies in Government and Public Policy.”
Secretary Pritzker met with the Department of Commerce's Office
of the Secretary Summer 2014 Intern Class.
The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides guidance
that aims to improve communities resilience to coastal hazards.
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