Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce is announcing the Regional Economic Research Initiative (Regional Initiative), a new data initiative to improve our nation’s understanding of local regional economies and their ability to compete. The importance of place has often been overlooked in favor of other ways of studying and growing the economy, which has contributed to the concentration of economic...

Expanding Protections for Pacific Remote Islands Toward Goal of Conserving 30% of U.S. Ocean by 2030 Following President Biden’s call to action at the White House Conservation in Action Summit and a Presidential Memorandum issued today, the Commerce Department directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to initiate a process to consider designating all U.S. waters around...

Today, Deputy Secretary Graves met with Puerto Rico Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) Executive Director Robert Mujica to discuss efforts on economic development and the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities for the archipelago, which were framed around Economic Deliverables agreed upon during last December’s Joint Economic Dialogue . As Puerto Rico Economic Growth Coordinator...

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) announced efforts to pursue a whole-of-government approach to review its march-in authority as laid out in the Bayh-Dole Act, which promotes commercialization of research results, maximizes the potential for federally-funded technologies to become products, and serves the broader interest of the...

Guardrails Will Ensure Innovations and Technology Funded by CHIPS Act Bolsters Technological and National Security for America and Our Allies The U.S. Department of Commerce today released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the guardrails included in the CHIPS Incentives Program to advance America’s technological and national security. The national security guardrails are intended to ensure...

Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo had a call with Germany’s Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck to reaffirm the Department of Commerce’s commitment to working together in cooperation on Transatlantic trade concerning critical minerals, semiconductors, and clean technology. Secretary Raimondo noted the essential nature of critical minerals for...

New dashboard to provide updated data alongside the monthly jobs report release Today, the Department of Commerce’s Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs (OUSEA) is announcing a new spotlight on women and the labor force . The dashboard will reflect new data each month, alongside the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly release on the employment situation . “The Department’s new...

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) participated in the second negotiating round for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in Bali, Indonesia, from March 13-19, 2023. The U.S. interagency delegation was co-led by Sharon H. Yuan, U.S. Department of Commerce Counselor and IPEF Pillars II-IV Chief Negotiator...