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THIS IS AN ARCHIVED SITE

This site contains information released online prior to January 20, 2009.

Click HERE to go the CURRENT commerce.gov website.
Information released from January 20, 2009 to present.

Please note: The content in this archive site is not updated and external links may not function.

U.S. Census Bureau logo

Census Bureau Projects Population of 303.1 Million

Washington (Dec. 27)—As our nation prepares to ring in the new year, the U.S. Census Bureau today projected the Jan. 1, 2008, population will be 303,146,284—up 2,842,103 or 0.9 percent from New Year’s Day 2007. In January, the United States is expected to register one birth every eight seconds and one death every 11 seconds. Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person every 30 seconds. The result is an increase in the total U.S. population of one person every 13 seconds. (More)


Secretary Gutierrez is pictured at the United States Patent and Trademark Office with intellectual property attaches.

Gutierrez Consults with Intellectual Property Attaches

Alexandria, Va. (Dec. 21)—Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Under Secretary Jon Dudas in meeting with intellectual property (IP) attachés at the USPTO Global Intellectual Property Academy. Their meeting is part of a week-long consultation on helping U.S. IP owners obtain and enforce their IP rights around the world. The IP attachés serve in seven countries, assisting U.S. businesses in anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy strategies. (More)


NOAA image of North Pacific Humpback Whale. Click here for larger image.

Japan Agrees to Suspend Its Hunt of Humpback Whales

Washington (Dec. 21)—The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Japan has agreed not to target humpback whales during its annual whale hunt that is underway in the seas off Antarctica. “We applaud Japan’s decision as an act of goodwill toward the International Whaling Commission,” said Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez. “Japan has listened intently to the concerns surrounding their hunt and the special significance whales have in many cultures.” (More)


Christopher A. Padilla is pictured at microphone speaking in front of a Congressional committee.

Senate Confirms Christopher A. Padilla as Under Secretary for International Trade

Washington (Dec. 20)— Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today applauded the U.S. Senate for confirming Christopher A. Padilla as Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade. “I am grateful that the U.S. Senate has confirmed Chris Padilla as Under Secretary for International Trade during this critical time for American competitiveness. ... During his service in government and the private sector, Chris has been intricately involved in nearly every major aspect of international trade, from opening new markets for U.S. exporters to vigorously enforcing our trade laws.” (More)


Photo of Steven H. Murdock testifying before Congress at confirmation hearing.

Gutierrez Praises Confirmation of Census Bureau Director

Washington (Dec. 20)—Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today applauded the U.S. Senate upon confirmation of Steve H. Murdock as Director of the U.S. Census Bureau. “I’m pleased that the U.S. Senate has confirmed Steve Murdock as Director of the U.S. Census Bureau. Steve will provide great leadership for the 2010 Census, which is so vitally important to understanding our nation, our economy and our people.” (More)


Secretary Gutierrez is pictured at CNBC’s White House Economic Summit today at Union Station with Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Ed Lazear and Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jim Nussle. Click for larger image.

Commerce Secretary Gutierrez Statement on Final Third Quarter GDP

Washington (Dec. 20)—Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez released a statement on the final third quarter real gross domestic product (GDP) report, which showed that the American economy remained at a solid 4.9 percent annual rate in the third quarter of 2007. Secretary Gutierrez is pictured at CNBC’s White House Economic Summit today at Union Station with Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Ed Lazear and Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jim Nussle. (More)


Census Bureau seal.

Demand for Digital Skyrockets, Says U.S. Census Bureau

Washington (Dec. 20)—Factory sales of MP3 players will rise from $424 million in 2003 to nearly $6 billion in 2007, according to projected sales. Additionally, sales of digital television sets and monitors for the same period are estimated to increase from $8.7 billion to $26.3 billion. The transition in consumer electronics from analog to digital format is just one of the many changes taking place in American life that can be tracked in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008. (More)


Image of lightning bolt.  Click for larger image.

NOAA, NASA Select Contractor for Satellite-Based Lightning Detection Equipment

Washington (Dec. 19)—Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Space Administration (NASA) announced that Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company of Palo Alto, Calif., has been selected for a $96.7 million (including options) contract award to design and develop a new instrument on the next generation of weather satellites that will detect patterns in lightning flashes that give forecasters an early indicator of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. (More)


Photo of Staghorn Coral.  Click here for larger image.

NOAA Seeks Greater Protections for Threatened Corals

Washington (Dec. 18)—The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is proposing to extend most of the prohibitions of the Endangered Species Act—normally applied only to endangered species—to the threatened elkhorn and staghorn corals. NOAA biologists estimate more than 90 percent of elkhorn and staghorn corals have been lost because of coral bleaching due to rising sea temperatures, disease, and tropical storm damage. Both species were listed as threatened in May 2006. (More)


U.S. Census Bureau logo.

U.S. Census Bureau Launches 2007 Economic Census

Washington (Dec. 17)—The Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau announced that on Dec. 17, 2007, most U.S. businesses with paid employees will receive an economic census form. The Economic Census takes place every five years in years ending in 2 and 7, and traces its roots back to the first census of manufactures in 1810. The economic census measures the nation’s economic activity, providing key source data for the gross domestic product (GDP) and other indicators of economic performance. (More)