August 8, 2014
Good evening from the Commerce Department!
On Tuesday the Department of Commerce and Bloomberg
Philanthropies co-hosted the first-ever U.S.-Africa Business Forum, a day
focused on strengthening trade and financial ties between the United States and
Africa. President Obama participated in the Business Forum along with Secretary
Pritzker and Mayor Bloomberg, as well as other senior U.S. government
officials. During remarks at the Forum, President Obama announced U.S.
businesses are committed to investing $14 billion in clean energy, aviation,
banking, and construction projects, among other commitments totaling more than
$33 billion that support economic growth in Africa and thousands of U.S. jobs.
This U.S.-Africa Business forum was only the beginning
of a strong partnership between the countries of Africa and the U.S. The forum successfully emphasized that Africa
and America are open for business.
Starting next week, Wendy Anderson, our new Chief of
Staff, will be writing you each Friday. It has been a true honor to serve as Acting
Chief of Staff. I look forward to continuing to advance the important work of
the Department in my new role as Deputy General Counsel.
Best,
Justin
Secretary
Pritzker Highlights the Work by the Commerce Department to Improve Trade and
Investment with Africa at the Historic U.S.-Africa Business Forum -
Secretary Pritzker discussed the work the Commerce Department is doing to
advance President Obama’s vision for the future of U.S.-Africa relations,
including expanding the Foreign Commercial Service presence across the continent.
Secretary
of Commerce Penny Pritzker Highlights U.S. Commitment to Doing Business In
Africa - The U.S.-Africa Business forum was only the beginning of a strong
partnership between Africa and the U.S.
The forum successfully emphasized that Africa and America are open for
business.
MEP
Launches Competition to Fund Manufacturing Centers in 10 States - The
National Institute of Standards and Technology opened a competition to award
new cooperative funding agreements for its Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership (MEP) centers in 10 states. The MEP centers help small and
mid-sized U.S. manufacturers create and retain jobs, increase profits, and save
time and money.
AAR
Lands Multi-million Dollar Supply Chain Deal with Kenya Airways with Help of
U.S. Government Advocacy Efforts - For the first time since the Obama
administration’s “Doing Business in Africa” initiative went into effect; an
aviation company has landed a multi-year deal in Africa. AAR, a global
aerospace, government and defense contractor, recently announced a five-year
deal with Kenya Airways.
Commerce
in the Community - This blog post is an interview with Brian Hill,
co-founder of Jail Education Solutions (JES). JES utilizes the innovative
workforce development model to reduce recidivism and prepare inmates for
reentry into the job market.
Coming
Soon: Data on Consumer Spending by State - New BEA data on consumer
spending broken out by state will help businesses, consumers, and policymakers
answer those questions. The statistics will cover the years from 1997 to 2012.
Counting
Young Children in Censuses and Surveys - The Census Bureau’s Frank Vitrano
writes that the folks preparing for the 2020 Census are continually looking at
ways to produce a more accurate and cost-effective count of the nation, one
that is reflective of our dynamic, changing society. They are researching how
to best reach and include historically hard-to-count populations, such as young
children.
Results
from America’s Churning Races: Race and Ethnic Response Changes Between the
2000 and 2010 Censuses - Census Bureau researchers write that racial and
ethnic identities often change between censuses and surveys. Possible
explanations for changes in responses include new life experiences, shifting
social forces, adjustments to questionnaire design, or a change in who within a
household reports the race or Hispanic origin for household members.
Billion-Dollar
Weather/Climate Disasters: Overview - As part of its responsibility of
monitoring and assessing the climate, the National Climatic Data Center tracks
and evaluates climate events in the U.S. and globally that have great economic
and societal impacts.
Under Secretary Doms wrote that BEA’s
New Statistical Product Enriches Understanding of Consumer Behavior at the
State Level.
The Economic and Statistics Administration wrote Who
is Buying American? Considering U.S. Exports on their blog this week.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis wrote Personal
Consumption Expenditures by State Prototype Estimates for 1997-2012 and June
2014 Trade Gap is $41.5 Billion on their blog this week.
New orders for manufactured goods in
June, up four of the
last five months, increased $5.7 billion (or 1.1 percent) to $503.2 billion.
This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS
basis in 1992 and followed a 0.6 percent May decrease. Excluding
transportation, new orders increased 1.1 percent.
Total
June exports of $195.9 billion and imports of $237.4 billion resulted in a
goods and services deficit of $41.5 billion, down from $44.7 billion in May,
revised. June exports were $0.3 billion more than May exports of $195.6
billion. June imports were $2.9 billion less than May imports of $240.3
billion.
June
2014 new orders for manufactured goods increased 1.1 percent, to $503.2
billion. Shipments rose 0.5 percent, to $499.8 billion. Unfilled orders
increased 1.0 percent to $1,098.5 billion. And inventories rose 0.3 percent, to
$653.8 billion.
The
June 2014 international trade deficit decreased 7.0 percent from May, to
$41.5 billion. Exports increased 0.1 percent, to $195.9 billion, and imports
fell 1.2 percent, to $237.4 billion.
June
2014 wholesale inventories were $533.5 billion, up 0.3 percent from the
revised May level and up 7.9 percent from June 2013. Sales were $454.4 billion,
up 0.2 percent from the revised May level and up 6.5 percent from June 2013.
Commerce Data in the News:
Forbes magazine
cites Census Bureau statistics on age and mobility to write that millennials
(age 20-29) aren’t ditching the car and moving to urban centers, but instead
are gathering in either college towns or Sun Belt cities in the article Millennial
Boomtowns: Where the Generation is Clustering (It’s Not Downtown).
ABC News cites
Census Bureau statistics on marriage and living arrangements in reporting about
the difficulty in getting a divorce in some places across the country in Top
7 Worst States for Divorce.
Business Insider
delves into the public use micro data sample from the Census Bureau’s American
Community Survey to show popular languages spoken in the article Here’s the Most Commonly Spoken Language
in Every New York Neighborhood That Isn’t English or Spanish.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data
on Tropical Storm currently occupying Hawaii has been highlighted in a recent USA TODAY article: Tropical
Storm Iselle makes landfall in Hawaii.
Data Releases Next Week: Advance Monthly
Retail Sales: July (Census); Manufacturing and Trade: Inventories and Sales:
June (Census)
On Monday, Secretary Pritzker will join Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) at a
regional economic development forum at the Oakland Airport, where the Secretary
will speak about the Commerce Department’s NEI/NEXT initiative to help U.S.
companies’ increase their exports to international markets.
Also
on Monday, MBDA National Director Alejandra Castillo will join Secretary
Pritzker at a Minority Economic Development Event in Oakland, CA, with U.S.
Rep. Barbara Lee. Castillo will participate in an Africa trade mission
delegation meeting, CEO roundtable, provide remarks on NEI, and moderate a
small business development panel discussion.
On
Monday as well, NIST Engineering Laboratory Acting Director Howard Harary will
deliver opening remarks at the two-day Cyber-Physical Systems Public Working
Group (CPS-PWG) Workshop in Gaithersburgh, MD. The workshop brings together
R&D experts working on existing and planned CPS across a diverse set of
technical stakeholder communities in industry, academia, and government for the
purpose of developing consensus around the scope, milestones, and work program
for the CPS PWG and its subgroups.
Additionally
Monday, Acting NIST Director Willie Mays will speak on redefining the mole and
kilogram at the 248th American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting. More
than 15,000 attendees from around the world are expected at this important
conference.
On
Tuesday, USPTO and MBDA will host a series of intellectual property (IP)
webinars on patents, trademarks, and copyrights in Washington, D.C. During the
webinar series attendees will learn about the types of intellectual property
protection: copyrights, patents, and trademarks.
On Wednesday, Census Bureau Director John Thompson will
address members of the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other
Populations during a virtual conference of committee members.
Also on Wednesday, USPTO Deputy Director Michelle Lee
will record segments on Samuel Colt, Samuel Morse, and Levi Strauss for a
Discovery Channel television documentary about historic inventors called “How
We Got Here” at the UPSTO campus in Alexandria, VA.
On Thursday, MBDA National Director Alejandra Castillo
will provide a keynote address on procurement and program opportunities with
the federal government at the 2014 California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Annual Convention.
Also on Thursday, USPTO Deputy Director Michelle Lee will
provide opening remarks at the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC)
Quarterly Meeting at the USPTO campus in Alexandria, VA. The Public Advisory
Committees for the UPSTO were created by statute in the American Inventors
Protection Act of 1999 to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for
Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO on the management of patent and
trademark operations.
On Friday, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development Jay
Williams will deliver remarks and participate in a panel discussion entitled
“Creating Communities of Innovation” at the Southern Governors Association
Annual Meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Also on Friday, USPTO will host the 16th Annual
Independent Inventor Conference at the USPTO campus in Alexandria, VA. For two
days, independent inventors and small business owners will have an unparalleled
opportunity to learn, network and jumpstart their creative endeavors.
Secretary Pritzker
Joins Mayor Bloomberg and President Obama at the U.S.-Africa Business Forum.
Secretary Pritzker wrapping up the U.S.-Africa Business
Forum at
the Google Hangout with Jonathan Allen from Bloomberg News.
Secretary of Commerce Pritzker's
opening remarks at the U.S.- Africa Business Forum on August 6, 2014.
Highlights
of the first U.S.-Africa Business Forum, a day focused on strengthening
trade and financial ties between the United States and Africa.
U.S.
exports to Africa reached $50 billion in 2013, up 39 percent since 2009.
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