Did you miss key news from Commerce this week? Each week, we recap the latest U.S. Department of Commerce highlights spanning a wide range of issues promoting job creation and economic growth, programs, and events in one blog post.
Here are the key moments from Commerce: This Week
Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross
On June 4, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service are temporarily reducing or eliminating the costs of several of their export services, providing relief to U.S. businesses affected by COVID-19.
Also, on June 4, Secretary Ross traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina for roundtable discussions with the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance to discuss the next steps in the hospitality and tourism industries as they begin to recover from COVID-19.
On June 5, Secretary Ross and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster toured the Fibertex Nonwovens plant in Gray Court, SC to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on business and industry. Secretary Ross and Governor McMaster participated in a roundtable discussion with Upstate South Carolina Alliance and engaged with Upstate business leaders representing an array of industries.
⇒ Read remarks by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross at the Fibertex Nonwovens Facility in Gray Court, South Carolina
Commerce Department Announces NTIA Pilot Program with HHS, FDA to Fight Illegal Online Opioid Sales
On June 8, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a 120-day pilot program to curb illegal online sales of unapproved opioids.
Around the Bureaus
Are you a digital forensics expert? The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) wants to put your skills to the test. On June 2, NIST announced the first large-scale “black box” study to test the accuracy of computer and mobile phone forensics.
On June 3, the Minority Business Development Administration (MBDA) closed out their 4-week virtual event series for women of color entrepreneurs with a panel with actress and entrepreneur Taraji P. Henson
National Fishing and Boating Week takes place June 6-13, 2020, and highlights the importance of recreational boating and fishing in our nation.
To kick off National Fishing and Boating Week, Russell Dunn, National Policy Advisor for Recreational Fisheries, reflects on the important progress we've made in partnership with the recreational fishing community.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis looked at the economic contribution of boating and fishing activities to U.S. GDP.
Happy World Ocean Day!
On June 8 we recognized World Ocean Day. Join us to celebrate and learn about our world ocean during National Ocean Month.
On June 9, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced it will formalize and expand its longstanding partnership with Schmidt Ocean Institute to explore, characterize and map the deep ocean and boost public understanding of the global ocean.
On June 10, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration released results of its latest NTIA Internet Use Survey, which show that nearly 4 out of 5 Americans were using the Internet by November 2019, and are increasingly using a larger and more varied range of devices.
2020 Census
90 million households have responded to the #2020Census. Explore response rates across the United States at http://2020census.gov/en/response-rates.