An Ignoble Experiment: Commerce at a Glance: March 31, 2022

The Latest News

Secretaries Raimondo and Granholm, Governor Roy Cooper, Applaud VinFast's Multi-Billion Dollar Investment in Building EVs in North Carolina

Today, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper applauded Vietnamese automaker VinFast's announcement of a multi-billion dollar-investment in building electric vehicles and batteries in North Carolina. VinFast's investment will create more than 7,000 jobs in the region and fuel American efforts to combat the climate crisis.

Readouts of Secretary Raimondo's Meetings with Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan and Delegation from Singapore

On March 30, Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo met with Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism, and Investment Dan Tehan to launch the Australia–U.S. Strategic Commercial Dialogue (AUSSCD), an ongoing dialogue between the Commerce Department and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, jointly led by the Secretary and Minister.

On March 29, Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo met with Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo, who are visiting the United States as part of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's delegation.

President Biden's Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Calls for Critical Investments in Key Commerce Priorities

The Biden-Harris Administration today submitted to Congress the President's Budget for fiscal year 2023. The President's 2023 Budget for the Department of Commerce makes historic investments to strengthen domestic supply chains through domestic manufacturing, help distressed communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, uplift minority-owned enterprises, and ensure that we have the tools needed to combat the climate crisis.

Commerce Department Releases Strategic Plan to Boost America's Competitiveness

The Department of Commerce released its fiscal year 2022-2026 Strategic Plan laying out an agenda for innovation, resilience and equity to strengthen America's competitiveness in the 21st century. Along with the strategic plan, the Department also published the first-ever learning agenda, through which all bureaus will build rigorous evidence on program outcomes.

Commerce Deputy Secretary Graves Joins Senator Wicker in Mississippi to Spotlight Historic Broadband Infrastructure Investments Coming to the State

Last week, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves joined Senator Roger Wicker in Jackson, Mississippi, to announce the details of a $32.7 million broadband infrastructure grant coming to the state to help close the digital divide and expand access to high-speed internet. They also connected with local carriers and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to emphasize the importance and expansion of future partnerships.

Raimondo, Tai Statements on 232 Tariff Agreement with United Kingdom

Recently, United States Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and United States Trade Representative Katherine C. Tai announced a new 232 tariff agreement with the United Kingdom to allow historically-based sustainable volumes of U.K. steel and aluminum products to enter the U.S. market without the application of Section 232 tariffs.

Vice President Harris, Commerce Deputy Secretary Graves Travel to Louisiana to Highlight Historic Broadband Infrastructure Investments Coming to the State

On Monday, March 21, Vice President Kamala Harris and Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves traveled to Sunset, Louisiana, to hear directly from Louisianans about the struggles they face due to the stark digital divide and lack of access to fast, affordable, and reliable broadband. The Vice President and Deputy Secretary delivered a strong message that help is on the way thanks to President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which sets out to achieve the ambitious goal of connecting all Americans to the internet.

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Around Commerce

Dolphins Deep Breathe on Camera for Oil Spill Science

Scientists are studying Bayley's behavior to better understand the impacts of oil spills on dolphins. When Bayley displays the correct breathing behavior she self-congratulates, squeaking and chirping excitedly.

How Do You Know You're Getting What You Pay For at the Grocery Store?

Whether it's bananas, olives, potato salad or cereal, many products are priced according to their weight. And that weight is likely determined on a scale tested and certified by a specially trained state or local inspector.

Journeys of Innovation: One Girl's Commitment

At 16 years old, Gitanjali Rao has invented a device to detect lead in water (inspired by the crisis in Flint, Michigan), an anti-bullying app, and was named TIME's first "Kid of the Year" in 2020, among other notable accomplishments. What makes her really unique is her ability to encourage other kids to realize their full potential.

NOAA, Partners Discover Wreck of 207-year-old Whaling Ship

The remains of the 64-foot long, two-masted wooden brig opens a window into a little known chapter of American history when descendants of African enslaved people and Native Americans served as essential crew in one of the nation's oldest industries.

Commerce by the Numbers

Gross Domestic Product by State, 4th Quarter 2021

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 47 states and the District of Columbia in the fourth quarter of 2021, as real GDP for the nation increased at an annual rate of 6.9 percent. The percent change in real GDP in the fourth quarter ranged from 10.1 percent in Texas to –2.3 percent in Iowa.

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Mom and Pop Businesses: Key Contributors to U.S. Economy

In 1939, Rick and Margie Segel created Mom and Pop Business Owners Day in honor of their parents' hat shop that opened that year. Eighty-three years later, it's still celebrated and continues to highlight the valuable contributions small businesses make to the U.S. economy.

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Over Two-Thirds of the Nation's Counties Had Natural Decrease in 2021

More than 73% (2,297) of U.S. counties experienced natural decrease in 2021, up from 45.5% in 2019 and 55.5% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2021 estimates of population and components of change released today. Natural decrease occurs when there are more deaths than births in a population over a given time period.

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Ultraviolet Light Can Clean N95 Masks for Reuse Without Hindering Performance, NIST Study Shows

To combat COVID-19 amid supply shortages in 2020, health care facilities across the U.S. resorted to disinfecting personal protective equipment (PPE), such as N95 masks, for reuse with methods such as ultraviolet (UV) light. But questions lingered about the safety and efficacy of these methods and how best to implement them.

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