Top News
Secretary Gutierrez to Lead CAFTA-DR Business Development Mission
Washington (June 12)—U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez announced he will lead a business delegation of U.S. exporters on a business development mission to the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2008. The mission will promote U.S. exports and investment and highlight regional opportunities that the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) has created since its implementation in 2006. (More) (CAFTA-DR Webpage)
NOAA Hosts 33rd Annual Fish Fry
Washington (June 11)—The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a Commerce bureau, hosted its 33rd annual fish fry. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez visited with NOAA guests and employees at the event in the courtyard of the Commerce Department. The event promoted public understanding of aquaculture and sustainable marine fisheries, as part of NOAA’s mission to provide environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. (NOAA)
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NIST Develops Process for Producing “Quantum Dots” for Biological Research
Gaithersburg, Md. (June 11)—Materials researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a simplified, low-cost process for producing high-quality, water-soluble “quantum dots” for biological research. By using a laboratory microwave reactor to promote the synthesis of the widely used nanomaterials, the recently published NIST process avoids a problematic step in the conventional approach to making quantum dots, resulting in brighter, more stable dots. (More)
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Secretary Gutierrez Welcomes Strong U.S. Export Growth
Washington (June 10)—U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today issued a statement on the release of the April 2008 U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services report by the Department’s U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Today’s report shows that U.S. exports increased by 18.2 percent to $609.8 billion year-to-date (through April) over 2007. Imports also increased 11.9 percent to $845.6 billion and the trade deficit narrowed 1.7 percent during the same time period. (More) (Fact Sheet)
Gutierrez, Chertoff Discuss State of Immigration
Washington (June 9)—Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff held a press conference to highlight the need for comprehensive immigration reform. “The American people want and deserve a thoughtful, broad-based approach to immigration that focuses on the security and economic prosperity of our country,” Gutierrez said. “We have made great strides in securing our borders and enforcing existing immigration laws. But we cannot neglect our economic security.” (Remarks)
ITA Under Secretary Addresses U.S.-India Partnership in the 21st Century
Washington (June 9)—Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) Under Secretary Christopher A. Padilla discussed the U.S.-India strategic partnership and efforts to jointly address the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century before the Heritage Foundation. Padilla said that India's rising economic power comes with the responsibility for playing a more central, constructive role in areas such as energy, food and global trade. (Remarks)
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Commerce Finds Unfair Dumping of Steel Nails from China
Washington (June 9)—The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced its affirmative final determination in the antidumping duty (AD) investigation of imports of certain steel nails from China. “America’s competitiveness is unfairly compromised by Chinese price discrimination in the global marketplace,” said Assistant Secretary David M. Spooner. “The Administration continues its commitment to aggressively enforce America’s trade remedy laws so that Americans can benefit from fair and free trade.” (Release)
Statement by Secretary Gutierrez on May’s Employment Report
St. Petersburg, Russia (June 6)—Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today released the following statement on the May Employment Report, which showed that the unemployment rate is 5.5 percent: “Today’s jobs report is disappointing. While growth was a bit better in the first quarter than originally estimated, we are nevertheless in a period of slow growth. But the Administration is acting quickly to distribute the economic stimulus checks to more than 130 million taxpayers. The plan is expected to create more than half a million jobs by the end of this year.” (More) (Fact Sheet)
NOAA: U.S. Has 36th-Coolest Spring on Record
Washington (June 6)—Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that the March-May spring season was the 36th-coolest on record for the contiguous United States, according to an analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Separately, last month ended as the 34th-coolest May, based on records dating back to 1895. (More)
Gutierrez and Ukrainian Minister of Economy Daynlyshyn Pledge Continued Economic Cooperation
Kyiv, Ukraine (June 5)—On the occasion of the first visit in the history of independent Ukraine of a U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Carlos M. Gutierrez and Ukrainian Minister of Economy, Bohdan Mykhailovych Danylyshyn, signed a joint statement regarding trade and economic cooperation between the United States of American and Ukraine. Gutierrez is in the region for a number of events and bilateral meetings to boost commercial relations between the two nations. (Statement) (Trip Page)