America’s marine economy contributed about $397 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product in 2019 and grew faster than the nation’s economy as a whole, according to the most current results of the first official Marine Economy Satellite Account released today by two Department of Commerce agencies. “America’s strong marine economy is absolutely vital for building back better,” said Secretary...

On June 1, President Biden’s issued a proclamation to the Nation honoring the history and achievements of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community and declaring June as Pride Month. Pride Month is not only a time to recognize their invaluable contributions, but to stand with them in solidarity in their ongoing struggle against discrimination and injustice. “Pride...

Blog post by Drew Hirshfeld, performing the functions and duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) From the personal computer to satellite technology, the last few decades of technological innovation have dramatically changed the way we live our lives. Those changes would not have been possible without the...

The U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is currently accepting nominations for their 2021 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Awards. These prestigious honors are presented during MBDA’s National Minority Enterprise Development Week—September 12-18, 2021—and celebrate the outstanding achievements of minority entrepreneurs, as well as individuals...

The Department of Commerce is proud to join the Nation in recognizing the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, also known as Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Observed annually in May, AANHPI Heritage Month is a time to reflect upon and celebrate the remarkable role of the AANHPI community in our Nation’s history. It also is a time to...

Guest blog post by Jennifer Kim, Assistant Division Chief, Decennial Census Management Division, U.S. Census Bureau I am honored to serve as the Assistant Division Chief for Content, Translation, Puerto Rico, and Island Areas Operations in the Decennial Census Management Division of the Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau. In this role, I manage several operations within the Decennial Census...

This year as we celebrate Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, we must first recognize the rise of hate crimes on the AANHPI community faced this past year during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commerce Department continues to support the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to end this violence and root out systemic barriers to economic justice, health...

Guest blog post by Hannah Wang, Primary Patent Examiner, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) As a primary patent examiner at the Commerce Department's United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), I handle patent applications in the area of computer networking. In addition, I have the privilege of currently serving as president of the Asian Pacific American Network (APANET), one of the...