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Secretary Gutierrez Announces Commerce Department Civil Nuclear Trade Initiative to Promote U.S. Nuclear Industry Sales Abroad
Washington (Oct. 8)—In remarks today at the Nuclear Energy Summit, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez said, “Nuclear power can play a leading role in building a secure, sustainable energy future for our county and creating jobs and opportunities for our citizens.” Noting the importance of exports to U.S. economic growth, Gutierrez said that through the Civil Nuclear Trade Initiative, the Commerce Department can be a partner in the nuclear renaissance by helping to open international markets for America’s world-class nuclear technologies. (More)
Commerce Secretary Gutierrez Announces $1.3 Million in Education Grants to the Gulf of Mexico
Washington (Oct. 8)—The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced $1.3 million in NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grants to five Gulf of Mexico recipients. “I hope these grants help inspire today's children to take an interest in protecting and managing oceans and watersheds, which are vital resources for our nation,” Gutierrez said. Gutierrez also announced grants to New England and the Pacific Northwest. (More)
EDA Deputy Assistant Secretary Presents $2 Million Investment Check to Alaskan Village
Anchorage, Alaska (Oct. 7)—Economic and Development Administration (EDA) Deputy Assistant Secretary Benjamin Erulkar (second from right) presented a $2 million EDA investment check to the Organized Village of Kake to help build a multi-purpose dock to serve commercial, fishing and tourism needs. The investment is expected to create 100 jobs and generate $8 million in private investment. EDA was established to generate jobs, help retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial and commercial growth in economically distressed areas of the United States. (More)
Commerce Assistant Secretary Highlights Free Trade Agreements, Importance of U.S. Exports
Washington (Oct. 7)—U.S. Commerce Assistant Secretary William G. Sutton addressed the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute's Fall Meeting. Sutton emphasized the vital role free trade agreements (FTAs) play in growing U.S. manufacturing exports and ensuring American manufacturers have fair access to emerging global markets. The United States has pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. (More)
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Secretary Gutierrez Travels to Brazil for Third U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum to Address Bilateral Trade
Washington (Oct. 6)—U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez announced that he will chair the U.S.-Brazil Commercial Dialogue Ministerial Meeting and co-chair the third meeting of the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum with Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs Dan Price in Sao Paulo, Oct. 9-10, 2008. Gutierrez will discuss ways to strengthen the U.S.-Brazil economic relationship between senior government officials and business leaders from both nations. The Secretary is seen here during his October 2007 trip to Brazil. (More)
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Statement by Secretary Gutierrez on September’s Employment Report
Washington (Oct. 3)—U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez today released the following statement on the September Employment Report, which showed that the unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.1 percent: “Today’s employment report underscores the significant hurdles our economy faces. While the unemployment rate remains the same, clearly, we are disappointed with these job losses. Our economy is experiencing major shocks, particularly in the housing and credit sectors, which impact every American. … (More) (Fact Sheet)
Commerce Deputy Secretary to Host U.S.-Georgia Business Summit in Tbilisi
Washington (Oct. 2)—U.S. Commerce Deputy Secretary John Sullivan will host the U.S.-Georgia Business Summit in Tbilisi, Georgia, Oct. 27, 2008, on the occasion of a Commerce Department-certified trade mission to Georgia the week of Oct. 26-28, 2008. U.S. and Georgian business leaders and senior officials will attend the summit on Monday, Oct. 27, which will highlight U.S. resources for expanding trade and investment with Georgia and opportunities in the country’s growth sectors. (More)
Photo Credit: Daniel Zukowski, Yale University
NIST Studies Electric Eel Cells as Power Source for Medical Implants and Other Tiny Devices
Gaithersburg, Md. (Oct. 2)—A new paper by researchers at Yale University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) argue that by applying modern engineering design tools to one of the basic units of life, artificial cells could be built that not only replicate the electrical behavior of electric eel cells but in fact improve on them. Artificial versions of the eel’s electricity generating cells could be developed as a power source for medical implants and other tiny devices. (More)
Safer Buildings are Goal of New Code Changes Based on Recommendations from NIST WTC Investigation
Gaithersburg, Md. (Oct. 1)—Future buildings—especially tall structures—should be increasingly resistant to fire, more easily evacuated in emergencies, and safer overall thanks to 23 major and far-reaching building and fire code changes approved recently by the International Code Council (ICC) and based on recommendations from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) investigation of the collapses of New York City's World Trade Center (WTC) towers on Sept. 11, 2001. "We applaud this historic action by the ICC—and the tremendous effort by NIST and its WTC investigation team that led to it," Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said. (More)
Gutierrez Meets with President of Costa Rica to Promote U.S. Exports and Investment
San Jose, Costa Rica (Sept. 30)—As part of a business development mission to the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez met with Costa Rica’s President Oscar Arias and discussed the importance of joining the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). Costa Rica is the only country yet to implement CAFTA-DR, and is working to implement the agreement soon to ensure its investors have permanent access to their most important market, the United States. (More)