Welcome to the first-ever National Child Care Innovation Summit. Now, it may seem unusual for a Commerce Secretary to be so focused on childcare. But I’m here because childcare is not only a social issue or a “women’s issue.” It is also an economic issue. In fact, I'd argue it’s one of the most critical economic issues affecting families, businesses, and communities today. The lack of investment...

In honor of Pride Month, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Deputy Secretary Don Graves joined Commerce employees earlier this month in raising the Progress Pride Flag outside the Commerce Department building. Flown throughout June, the flag celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQI+ community. “Pride Month is a celebration of the courage and contributions of the LGBTQI+ community,” said Secretary...

Since it was founded in 1969 by President Nixon, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) has been committed to its mission of promoting the growth of minority business enterprises through the mobilization and advancement of public and private sector programs, policy, and research. This mission is grounded in the knowledge that achieving the full potential of the U.S. economy requires that...

The Department of Commerce provides technical assistance to socially or economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs, including minority business enterprises (MBEs), through: Assistance securing capital and contracts: Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Centers : Minority business enterprises seeking to expand into new markets — domestic & global — and grow and scale, can access...

Achieving the full potential of the U.S. economy requires that every American entrepreneur can start and grow their business regardless of background. Yet some communities face disproportionate barriers to the resources needed to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into reality. For example, the U.S. Federal Reserve found that more than half of Black-owned businesses were turned down for bank loans...

Today, U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Korean Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) Ahn Duk-geun held the second United States-Korea Supply Chain and Commercial Dialogue (SCCD) Ministerial Meeting. The Secretary and Minister reviewed progress made to date between Commerce and MOTIE to deepen bilateral economic and commercial cooperation between the countries...

Yesterday, SelectUSA’s 10th Investment Summit came to a close, marking the largest Investment Summit in SelectUSA history, with over 5,000 attendees spanning 96 international markets and, for the first time, all 56 U.S. states and territories represented. “This year’s SelectUSA Investment Summit demonstrated why the United States remains the top destination for foreign direct investment for twelve...

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Announces New Census Bureau Action to Track Child Care Data to Inform and Target Solutions to Child Care Crisis. Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce co-hosted, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, a first-of-its-kind National Child Care Innovation Summit. The event brought together hundreds of key public- and private...

According to new survey data from the Federal Reserve’s 2023 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (“SHED”), low-income families are more likely to reduce work to care for young children while high income families are more likely to pay for care. [i] These differing decisions have financial consequences, as families who reduce work are less well off financially than those who are not...

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met with European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Saito Ken, and Republic of Korea Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun to discuss the importance of trustworthy and resilient supply chains in key sectors. The Ministers discussed shared concerns regarding the...