January 23, 2015
This week, President Obama’s State of the Union address
underscored numerous efforts that the Administration and Commerce has
undertaken to strengthen and grow the middle class. The President reaffirmed
what we all know when we come to work each day ― we must be relentlessly
focused on making America the place where businesses decide to innovate, grow
and create good, high-paying jobs. And we are proud of our efforts so far. Last
year alone, American businesses created 3 million jobs. Our GDP is up, while our
unemployment rate is down. There is no doubt that 2014 was a milestone year for
our economy and our comeback is underway.
On Wednesday, Secretary Pritzker traveled to Charlotte
where she engaged in discussion with the local chamber of commerce about the
President’s State of the Union address, the current state of our economy, and
what we can do to support a durable and sustainable American economy for the
future. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Secretary Pritzker emphasized the
importance of service and the significant role the private sector can play in
helping improve communities through service during the Project Management Day
of Service ScopeAthon event. Deputy Secretary Andrews and several other
Commerce employees participated in Monday’s day of service by helping paint a
mural with other volunteers at Eastern Senior High School.
Around Commerce, ITA will host a webinar on doing business
in Burma; NOAA Administrator Kathy Sullivan wrote about how big data from space
helps life on earth; and JoAnn Crary, Chair of the Board of Directors of the
International Economic Development Council, affirmed the value of SelectUSA
summit to attracting foreign direct investment.
Thanks for taking the time to read. We at the department
are committed to spurring our economic resurgence and keeping America open for
business.
-Jim
Secretary
Pritzker and Deputy Secretary Andrews Participate in MLK Day of Service -
On Monday, Secretary Penny Pritzker
participated in the Project Management Day of Service ScopeAthon as part of the
Martin Luther King Day of service. Additionally, Deputy Secretary Bruce Andrews
participated in City Year DC’s service project at Eastern Senior High School.
Secretary Pritzker Travels to Charlotte to
Discuss Future of U.S. Economy- Secretary Penny Pritzker traveled
to North Carolina to participate in an armchair discussion with Charlotte
Chamber President and CEO Bob Morgan. She highlighted the progress made in
America’s economic recovery in 2014, and discussed President Obama’s plans to
build on that momentum with the policies discussed in the State of the Union address.
Commerce Efforts Featured Prominently in
President Obama’s State of the Union Address- Tuesday
night, President Obama delivered a strong and clear message in his State of the
Union address: that America’s resurgence is real. To ensure that America
continues to be the number one economy in the world, the President outlined a
bold agenda.
Secretary
Pritzker Attends World Economic Forum to Highlight Priorities Integral to
Lasting Economic Recovery - Secretary Pritzker traveled to Davos,
Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum and participate in a panel
discussion titled “The Outlook for the United States,” which focused on what
Washington can accomplish in the next two years. During the candid
conversation, Secretary Pritzker highlighted the momentum in the U.S. economy
heading in to 2015, America’s strong position as a global investment
destination, and the work that still needs to be done to continue a
sustainable, lasting recovery.
2015 Will Be the Biggest Year Yet for
International Opportunities for Regional Economic Development- JoAnn Crary, Chair of the Board of
Directors, announced that 2015 is off to a great start for the International
Economic Development Council. Having attended the first SelectUSA Investment
Summit in 2013, she attests to the value of coming to Washington to meet with
colleagues from across the U.S., hundreds of international investors and hear
from a robust speaking program featuring top administration leaders in foreign
direct investment attraction.
Doing
Business in Burma- A Webinar Highlighting Key Opportunities and Challenges- In
2011, the Government of Burma embarked on a series of reforms aimed at opening
Burma’s economy to the global marketplace. The United States supports the Burmese Government’s ongoing reform efforts,
and believes that the participation of U.S. businesses in Burma’s economy can
be a model for responsible investment and business operations, encouraging
further change, promoting inclusive economic development, and contributing to
the welfare of the Burmese people.
San Antonio MBDA Business Center’s Export
Strategies Support Foreign Direct Investment- The San Antonio MBDA Business Center’s specialty is
helping minority businesses (MBEs) find exporting opportunities in Latin
America. The MBDA Business
Center’s San Antonio Global Pathways Initiative has proven to be a conduit of
global opportunities for domestic MBE clients.
Swiss Foreign Direct Investment Promotes
Jobs in the United States - Secretary Pritzker along with Swiss Vice
President Schneider-Ammann led a delegation of executives and CEOs from eight
Swiss companies who have or will have a footprint in the United States to the
White house to meet with Cabinet and senior members of the Obama administration
to talk about doing business in the United States.
How
Big Data from Space Helps Life on Earth- Kathy Sullivan writes about how
NOAA has been working to deepen our understanding of and appreciation for this
planet. The key to that understanding are the observational data- much of it
from satellites- that feed our knowledge of Earth.
Supercomputer Simulations Yield Method for
Predicting Behavior of New Concrete Formulas- A
recent study conducted by researchers from the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST), the University of Strasbourg and Sika Corporation using
Department of Energy Office of Science supercomputers has led to a new way to
predict concrete’s flow properties from simple measurements.
ESA wrote about How
Much Small- and Medium-sized Businesses Contribute to U.S. Exports
The Bureau of Economic Analysis wrote Widespread
Growth Across Industries Continues in Third Quarter 2014 and Introducing
the New BEA Health Care Satellite Account on their blog this week.
Building permits in December 2014 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 1,032,000, down 1.9 percent from the revised November rate and up 1.0 percent from December 2013. Housing starts in December 2014 were at a SAAR of 1,089,000, up 4.4 percent from November and up 5.3 percent from December 2013.
Commerce Data in the News:
The Bureau
of Economic Analysis’ data on how industries performed in the third quarter
was highlighted in a recent Wall Street
Journal article: Finance,
Real Estate and Mining Drive U.S. Growth in Third Quarter.
Time magazine
cites Census Bureau age and population statistics to report that millennials
(born between 1981 and 1997) are projected to number 75.3 million this year,
outpacing that nation’s 74.9 million baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964),
in the article, Millennials
Will Overtake Baby Boomers to Become America’s Biggest Generation.
USA Today cites
Census Bureau population statistics and USDA information to write that the
District of Columbia has the highest percentage of its residents using food
stamps of any state or state equivalent in the article, States
with the Most People on Food Stamps.
The Washington Post
cites Census Bureau statistics on marriage and living arrangements to report
that interracial or interethnic opposite-sex married couple households grew by
28 percent from 2000 to 2010 and that there 275,500 interracial marriages in
2010 in the article, Where
are All the Interracial Children’s Books?
Data
Releases Next Week: Advance Report on
Durable Goods: December (Census); New Residential Sales: December (Census);
Housing Vacancies and Homeownership: 2014 Q4 (Census); Gross Domestic Product
(Advance): 2014 Q4 (BEA)
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will
join President Obama in India as part of the official U.S. delegation next
week. In addition to accompanying President Obama for his official meetings, Secretary
Pritzker will meet with senior Indian officials to discuss the business and
investment climate in India and focus on the opportunities for U.S.-India
cooperation on a wide range of commercial and economic issues. Secretary
Pritzker will also chair a SelectUSA discussion with Indian CEOs interested in
increasing their investments in the United States and participate in a meeting
with U.S. and Indian business leaders focused on deepening commercial and
economic ties between the two countries.
On Tuesday, Assistant Secretary for Communications and
Information and NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling will deliver opening
remarks about the IANA transition ahead of a panel discussion at the State of
the Net, an Internet policy conference sponsored by the Internet Education
Foundation.
On Wednesday, USPTO Senior Counsel Mark Cohen will speak
on investment in China before the U.S. China Economic & Security Review
Commission Committee.
On Thursday, Acting Under Secretary for Standards and
Technology and Acting NIST Director Willie May will attend the NFL’s annual
Health & Safety press briefing in Phoenix, AZ, to announce a new
collaboration aimed at reducing head injuries from impact.
From January 29–30, NIST and the Department of Justice
will hold the fifth meeting of the National Commission on Forensic Science
(NCFS) meeting at the Office of Justice Programs.
On Friday, MBDA National Director Alejandra Castillo will
speak on the successes of the Puerto Rico MBDA Business Center and the recent
supplemental grant they received to help expand their export efforts to local
Caribbean nations at the Puerto Rico MBDA Center’s annual Minority Enterprise
Development Week.
Also on Friday, Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Mark
Doms will discuss the 4th Quarter and 2014 Annual Advance Estimates GDP with
Standard and Poor’s Chief Economist Beth Ann Bovino on a teleconference with
business leaders hosted by Business Forward.
Secretary Pritzker sits with Charlotte Chamber of
Commerce President and CEO Bob Morgan for an armchair
discussion.
Bonus Photo of the
Week:
Secretary
Pritzker was featured on “Outlook for the U.S.” at the World Economic Forum as
part of a panel discussion with Susan Glasser, Editor, Politico; John
Hickenlooper, Governor of Colorado; Andrew Liveris, President and CEO, Dow
Chemical Company; Patrick McHenry, Republican Congressman from North Carolina;
Cecilia Rouse, Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International
Affairs, Princeton University.
On CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Secretary Pritzker discussed
trade, Cuba, and our resurgent economy.
Martin
Luther King Jr. Day - The Census Bureau posted a graphic that shows changes
in the African-American population since the 1964 Civil Rights Act, such as the
dramatic increase in high school and college graduates and an increase in
percentage of those who vote.
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