Trade & Investment: Celebrating National Small Business Week and World Trade Month

05/05/2016

(by Greg Schneider, Senior International Trade Specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service) In a span of just five years—2009 to 2014—U.S. fish and fish products such as frozen fish fillets, fish roe, crabs, cod, clams, and salmon exports to the world grew by 48 percent.

05/04/2016

(by Arun Kumar, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the US and Foreign Commercial Service) This is a great time to invest in American manufacturing. Yesterday, AT Kearney announced that the United States ranked first for the fourth year running in its annual Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index.

05/04/2016

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker issued the following statement on SATA USA’s $114 million investment in Brownsville, Texas. SATA USA, a subsidiary of Italy-based SATA Group, plans to establish a machining operation that will create 300 jobs over a 10-year period.

05/04/2016

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker issued the following statement today on the release of the March 2016 U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services monthly data. The total trade deficit improved 13.9 percent in March, to $40.4 billion, driven by a $6.0 billion reduction in the goods trade deficit. In addition, new monthly export records were established in travel services — $15.5 billion – and in insurance services — $1.6 billion. U.S. exports of goods and services decreased to $176.6 billion in March from $178.2 billion in February.

05/04/2016

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that the goods and services deficit was $40.4 billion in March, down $6.5 billion from $47.0 billion in February, revised.

05/03/2016

(by Eric Holloway, Deputy Director in the Office of East Asia and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) U.S companies have a brand new resource available to them with the recently released of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Opportunities by Market report from the International Trade Administration (ITA).

05/03/2016

(by Stefan M. Selig, U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade) Every year, World Trade Month—designated for the month of May—gives us the opportunity to acknowledge the importance of global trade, and look back at the economic advancements we have made as a result. This World Trade Month, we can look back and appreciate the success we have accomplished.

05/02/2016

(Cross-blog post by Gabriela Morales-Richards, MBDA Business Development Specialist)This week at Hannover Messe, the largest industrial trade fair in the world, we see abundant evidence that global business is booming. The fair features more than 6,500 exhibitors, and draws 250,000 visitors to explore innovations in energy, digital factory, industrial automation, industrial supply, and research and technology from leading companies. For the first time since the fair’s founding in 1947, the United States is the official partner country.

04/30/2016

(by Laurie Mease, International Trade Specialist with ITA’s Office of Textiles and Apparel)It’s been a fantastic week here at Hannover Messe. We’ve had visits from President Obama, Chancellor Merkel, the governors of Virginia and Kentucky, our own Secretary Pritzker and Deputy Secretary Andrews, and many other high-level government officials from the U.S. and Europe.

04/29/2016

(Guest blog post by David Langdon, Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of Commerce) Earlier this week, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and German Federal Minister of Education and Research Johanna Wanka came together at the Hannover Messe for a panel discussion on how the United States and Germany can collaborate on expanding apprenticeship. Let’s unpack that mouthful of a sentence. Germany and the United States? Education and Commerce? Apprenticeships? How does it add up?

04/29/2016

(by Ashley Zuelke, Senior Advisor for Export Policy, Promotion and Strategy at the International Trade Administration) In recognition of World Trade Month in May, communities across the country will focus on the importance of trade and its ongoing contribution to U.S. economic and job growth. The first week of May recognizes National Small Business Week, a fitting start to the month given the role of America’s small and medium-sized business which fuel our economy. These businesses make up the vast majority of U.S. exporters and an increasing share of the value of U.S. exports.

04/29/2016

(by Vinai Thummalapally, Executive Director of SelectUSA) The 2016 Hannover Messe was not only an opportunity to showcase the ingenuity and innovation of American products and services, it was also a chance to demonstrate on an international stage why the United States is the world’s most competitive investment destination.

04/29/2016

On Sunday, April 24, President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker arrived in Germany to kick off the 2016 Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial trade fair. For the first time since the fair’s inception in 1947, the United States served as the official partner country.