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Commerce at a glance [ [link removed] ]


*June 15, 2020*




Coronavirus Disease

COVID-19

Coronavirus: Resources, Updates, and What You Should Know [ [link removed] ]



Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) [ [link removed] ]



Guidelines for Opening Up America Again [ [link removed] ]







Latest News

Commerce Clears Way for U.S. Companies to More Fully Engage in Tech Standards-Development Bodies [ [link removed] ]

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced a new rule today ensuring U.S. industrys ability to more fully contribute to standards-development activities in the telecommunications sector. International standards serve as the critical building blocks for technological development by enabling functionality, interoperability, and safety. U.S. participation and leadership in standard-setting influences the future of 5G, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, and other cutting-edge technologies.



Commerce Department Announces NTIA Pilot Program with HHS, FDA to Fight Illegal Online Opioid Sales [ [link removed] ]

Recently, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a 120-day pilot program to curb illegal online sales of unapproved opioids. Under the program, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will work with three domain name registries, Neustar (.us), Verisign (.com, .net) and Public Interest Registry (.org), to suspend the domain names of websites found to be illegally selling unapproved opioids.



U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Initiates Section 232 Investigation into Imports of Vanadium [ [link removed] ]

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has initiated an investigation into whether the present quantities or circumstances of vanadium imports into the United States threaten to impair the national security. This decision follows review of the petition filed by domestic producers, AMG Vanadium LLC (Cambridge, OH), and U.S. Vanadium LLC (Hot Springs, AR), on November 19, 2019, requesting that the Department of Commerce launch an investigation into vanadium imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. Secretary Ross sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper informing him of the investigation.



The International Trade Administration Granting Relief to U.S. Companies During COVID-19 Response [ [link removed] ]

Recently, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the U.S. Department of Commerces International Trade Administration (ITA) and U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service (USFCS) are temporarily reducing or eliminating the costs of several of their export services, providing relief to U.S. businesses affected by COVID-19. These efforts are intended to encourage the export of non-COVID-19-treatment-related Made in the USA products around the world in this moment of economic transition and recovery.



Black High School Attainment Nearly on Par With National Average [ [link removed] ]

About 90% of the U.S. population has graduated high school, a dramatic improvement in educational attainment that began whencompulsory educationwas adopted by every state a century ago. But the most striking social shift is the shrinking of the high school attainment gap between Blacks and the national average.



Journeys of Innovation: Persistence is Omnipotent [ [link removed] ]

Faced with daunting challenges throughout her life, Martine Rothblatt learned to push past the idea of the insurmountable. Her longlist of accomplishments includes creating and commercializing satellite radio, founding a biotechnology company that seeksto provide an unlimited supply of transplantable organs, setting world records for electric flight, becoming a leading advocate for transgender rights, and delving deep into the future of artificial intelligence with her work on digital immortality.



Minority Business Development Agency Seeking Nominations for 2020 National MED Week Awards [ [link removed] ]

The U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is seeking nominations for the 2020 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Awards. These annual awards are designed to honor businesses, organizations, and individuals that have demonstrated leadership and commitment in advancing the minority business community and our Nations economy.



NTIA Data Reveal Shifts in Technology Use, Persistent Digital Divide [ [link removed] ]

NTIA is releasing results of its latest NTIA Internet Use Survey, which show that nearly 4 out of 5 Americans were using the Internet by November 2019, and are increasingly using a larger and more varied range of devices. Even as seniors and other demographic groups reported encouraging increases in Internet use, the data show that a persistent digital divide still exists based on income levels, age groups, and race, among other factors.



Story Map: Our Dynamic Marine Economy [ [link removed] ]

The first comprehensive assessment of the U.S. marine economy reveals a dynamic picture.Developed by NOAA and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, newocean economy statisticsprovide the most accurate picture yet of America's marine economy. With activities dependent on the ocean, coasts and Great Lakes, NOAA is uniquely positioned to support the growth of the marine economy. This story map tracks the new statistics and includes a brief look at the enormous scope of NOAA's agency-wide contributions.



My Stay-at-Home Lab Shows How Face Coverings Can Slow the Spread of Disease [ [link removed] ]

As a fluid dynamicist and mechanical engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Ive devoted much of my career to helping others see things that are often difficult to detect. Ive shownthe complex flow of air that occurs when a dog sniffs. Ive helped develop ways todetect drugs and explosives by heating them into a vapor. Ive explored howdrug residue can contaminate crime labs. Ive even shown how toscreen shoes for explosives.






In Case You Missed It

*Economists: Oceans and Great Lakes contributed $373 billion to U.S. in 2018 [ [link removed] ]*

Without our oceans and Great Lakes, America's economy would be a lot less robust. That was the message issued in a report released Tuesday by the National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The two Department of Commerce agencies found the nation's ocean-dependent activities, including goods and services, contributed about $373 billion to the overall U.S. economy in 2018.



*New U.S. restrictions on 33 Chinese firms and institutions take effect June 5 [ [link removed] ]*

The U.S Commerce Department said on Wednesday that new restrictions on 33 Chinese firms and institutions it announced last month will take effect Friday Seven companies and two institutions were listed for being complicit in human rights violations and abuses committed in Chinas campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, forced labor and high-technology surveillance against Uighurs and others, the Commerce Department said.



*U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Visits Osceola County-Based BRIDG to Highlight Semiconductor Leadership [ [link removed] ]*

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross visited BRIDG, a not-for-profit, public-private partnership for semiconductor R&D and manufacturing located in Kissimmee. The visit highlighted the importance of U.S. leadership in the semiconductor industry and the need for public-private partnerships such as BRIDG to protect, strengthen, and unify the domestic semiconductor supply chain. Central Florida is critical to Americas microelectronics manufacturing supply chain and its defense and aerospace customers, said U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. BRIDGs vision and leadership will not only help solidify the United States position as a global competitor in the semiconductor industry, but they will continue to revitalize and strengthen the local economy as we reopen the country.















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