Commerce at a Glance: October 30, 2020

The Latest News

Honoring the Nation’s First Responders

Every day, first responders across the country put their lives on the line to keep Americans safe. An estimated 4.6 million people serve as career and volunteer firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians, and paramedics in the United States. Their daily jobs come with extraordinary challenges that they face with bravery and dedication.

Secretary Ross Highlights Business Strength and American Optimism in Florida

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross traveled to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Friday and toured a local business that has successfully overcome many challenges of doing business in the wake of COVID-19. City Furniture continued to work through the economic downturn caused by the pandemic and became an example of a successful business that contributed to September’s strong retail sales in both Florida and across the country.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Honors U.S. Companies With Presidential Award for Export Achievements

Recently, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross honored 39 U.S. companies and organizations, recognizing their contributions to American export growth by naming them winners of the 2020 President’s “E” Awards. Winners hail from 19 states, and of this year’s 39 honorees, 31 are small and medium-sized businesses, while 24 firms are manufacturers.

Secretary Ross Visits Pennsylvania-Based Company and Stresses Importance of the Commercial Space Industry to the U.S. Economy

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross traveled to Pittsburgh on October 19 and attended the grand opening of Astrobotic Technology, Inc., a 47,000 square foot facility that will be the primary hub for lunar logistics in the United States. Secretary Ross emphasized the important role of the commercial space sector in the growing global space economy.

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NOAA and Google Announce New Data Partnership

NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service (NESDIS) has signed an agreement with Google to explore the benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for enhancing NOAA’s use of satellite and environmental data.

NIST Offers ‘Quick-Start’ Guide for Its Security and Privacy Safeguards Catalog

If you’ve ever tried to set up a home entertainment system by poring over a thick manual, you might appreciate the manufacturer also providing you with a quick-start guide so you can get your party going in short order.

Celebrating World Statistics Day 2020

This year’s theme is “Connecting the world with data we can trust,” and the United Nations is inviting governments to recognize the importance of trust, authoritative data, innovation and the public good in national statistical systems.

Gross Domestic Product, Third Quarter 2020 (Advance Estimate)

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 33.1 percent in the third quarter of 2020 (table 1), according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the second quarter, real GDP decreased 31.4 percent.

Commerce Data & Reports

New Benchmark USPTO Study Finds Artificial Intelligence in U.S. Patents Rose by More than 100% Since 2002

The number of artificial intelligence (AI) patent applications received annually by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) more than doubled from 2002 to 2018, according to a new report published today by the USPTO, “Inventing AI: Tracing the diffusion of artificial intelligence with U.S. patents.”

Celebrating the Economic Impact of Opportunity Zones Across the U.S.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is proud of its role in bolstering the American economy through its Opportunity Zones work. To date, EDA has invested more than $750 million in more than 500 Opportunity Zone projects across the country. Created by President Donald J. Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Opportunity Zones are spurring economic development and job growth in economically-distressed communities across the country.

Safeguarding Critical Infrastructure: NIST Releases Draft Cybersecurity Guidance, Develops GPS-Free Backup for Timing Systems

Taking another step toward strengthening the nation’s critical infrastructure, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has drafted guidelines for applying its Cybersecurity Framework to critical technologies such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) that use positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) data.