Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced that she will lead the largest-ever U.S. delegation to Hannover Messe, the world’s foremost trade fair for industrial technology, taking place April 25 to 29, 2016 in Hannover, Germany. For the first time in the Fair’s history, the United States will be the Partner Country, which provides the more than 270 businesses and economic...

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today released the fiscal year 2017 budget request for the U.S. Department of Commerce. The FY17 budget request supports and builds on President Obama’s vision for creating economic opportunity for all Americans, and includes critical funding for key Commerce priorities, including promoting trade and investment, spurring innovation, and fueling our data-...

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced the 25 awardees that will receive $10 million under the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) 2015 Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) program. The 2015 RIS program is managed by EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE) and is designed to advance innovation and capacity-building activities in regions across the country...

U.S Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson today joined Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to inaugurate the Tornillo-Guadalupe Port of Entry and International Bridge in Tornillo, Texas. The port of entry will replace the Fabens-Caseta Port of Entry completed in 1938 and will connect Tornillo, Texas and Guadalupe, Mexico.

A report issued today by the U.S. Department of Commerce recommends amendments to copyright law that would provide both more guidance and greater flexibility to courts in awarding statutory damages. The recommended amendments would ensure continued meaningful protection for intellectual property while preserving the dynamic innovation that has made digital technology so important to the American...

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) are announcing new amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), respectively. These amendments further implement the new direction toward Cuba that President Obama laid out in...

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker addressed U.S. and African business leaders at an event hosted by the Tony Elumelu Foundation and the United Bank for Africa titled "Unleashing Africa’s Entrepreneurs: Strengthening the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem to Empower the Next Generation of Africa’s Business Leaders.” The President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-...

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews today announced he will lead a delegation of 18 American companies on a Smart Cities Infrastructure Business Development Mission to India from February 8-12, 2016, with stops in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Lee Zak and Vice President of Global Business Development at the Export-Import Bank...

“The December jobs report caps off a strong year, with our economy adding more jobs over the past two years than in any two-year period since the 1990s."...

The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today it has issued a Notice of Intent to fund up to two institutes as part of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI). For its first institutes, the Commerce Department will provide up to a total of $70 million per institute over five to seven years. Commerce funding must be matched by...

The U.S. Department of Commerce today released the final results of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 Survey of Business Owners (SBO), which found that business ownership in our nation is mirroring our increasingly diverse population. Minority-owned firms in the U.S. rose from 5.8 million in 2007 to 8.0 million in 2012, and employed 7.2 million people in 2012. While the number of minority-owned...

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews today announced that he will lead a healthcare trade and investment mission to Lima, Peru from March 7-9, 2016. The trade mission will help U.S. companies launch or increase their business in Peru, focusing on pharmaceutical producers, medical device manufacturers, hospital operation and management services, hospital information systems, and eHealth...

U.S. Commerce Deputy Secretary Bruce Andrews today announced the Department is seeking candidates to serve on a new Digital Economy Board of Advisors, which Commerce is establishing to give government a mechanism to obtain advice from leaders in industry and civil society. The board will provide recommendations on ways to ensure that the Internet continues to thrive as an engine of growth,...

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced it will partner with the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) to host the first-ever Smart Fabrics Summit on April 11, 2016 in Washington, D.C. The Summit will provide a forum for public and private sector leaders in technology, apparel, and textiles to highlight recent developments in the smart fabrics industry, identify...

For the first time, the United States is the official partner country for the 2016 Hannover Messe, the world’s largest trade fair for industrial technology, taking place April 25 to 29 in Hannover, Germany.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today issued a series of new fact reports that demonstrate the positive impact that passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) can have on the U.S. economy. The reports highlight by state the value of U.S. goods exports to TPP markets; the number of U.S. jobs supported by exports from each state; and the tariff reductions that stand to benefit each...

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today released the following statement on the October jobs report, which showed that U.S. employment rose by 271,000 last month. Growth accelerated in most industries above their previous 12-month average, in particular professional and business services, retail trade, and construction.

“The completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a testament to our Administration’s strong commitment to strengthening America’s competitiveness, increasing opportunities for our businesses and workers, promoting our values worldwide, and raising the global standard of living. It’s a forward-thinking deal that improves America’s access to some of the fastest-growing markets in the world and...

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today released a report highlighting the potential benefits of the recently completed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) for Virginia businesses and communities. The TPP will boost U.S. and local economic growth, support American jobs, expand investment opportunities, and increase Virginia exports to some of the world’s fastest growing markets.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman will co-lead a high-level U.S. Government delegation for the 26th session of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT), November 21-23, in Guangzhou, China. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will also take part in the dialogue to address key agricultural trade issues between the two...

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today released a report highlighting the potential benefits of the recently completed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) for Illinois businesses and communities. The TPP will boost U.S. and local economic growth, support American jobs, expand investment opportunities, and increase Illinois exports to some of the world’s fastest growing markets.

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk issued the following statement regarding discussions on October 26 in Kyiv to accelerate economic reform and increase U.S.-Ukrainian bilateral trade and investment.

As part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s “Skills for Business” initiative, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is funding the development of a visualization tool that will show the demand for and availability of critical cybersecurity jobs across the nation. The project, funded through NIST’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), will provide data to...

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will travel to Ukraine from October 26-27 as a continuation of the Obama Administration’s sustained commitment to supporting the Ukrainian government and people, and helping strengthen the Ukrainian economy.