After the latest monthly consumer data, some analysts expect a second straight quarter of decline in the U.S. gross domestic product.
Tag Archives: Commerce Department
Semiconductor Makers Push Congress for New Funding
American semiconductor giants are pressing Congress to pass legislation that would provide $52 billion for their industry, warning that they may otherwise relocate overseas.
Biden to Begin New Asia-Pacific Economic Bloc With a Dozen Allies
The goal is a resurgence in U.S. influence in the region, especially vis-à-vis China, after Trump’s withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
U.S. to Lift Tariffs on Ukrainian Steel
The Biden administration will lift a 25 percent tariff on the Ukrainian steel sector for one year to help the country’s economy.
Norman Y. Mineta, Who Served Two Presidents in Cabinet, Dies at 90
Interned in wartime as a Japanese American, he went to Congress and became the first Japanese American cabinet officer, serving Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Solar Industry ‘Frozen’ As Biden Administration Investigates China
More than 300 solar projects in the United States have been canceled or delayed in recent weeks because of an investigation by the Commerce Department.
Economy Contracted in the First Quarter, but Underlying Measures Were Solid
The overall figure understates the recovery because inventories needed less rebuilding and consumer spending widened the trade deficit.
U.S. Casts a Global Net to Stop Shipments to Russia
To try to halt the war in Ukraine, the U.S. and its allies have imposed the most sweeping export controls seen in decades on Russia. Now they have to enforce them.
Retail sales rose in February, but inflation is starting to take its toll on spending.
Sales rose 0.3 percent from January, a sharp slowdown in spending growth. Spending at electronics and appliances stores, furniture stores and health and personal care stores was lower.
American Officials Believe They Have Located Putin’s Yacht
They say they have indications that the $700 million, 459-foot yacht, which is in dry dock in Italy, is associated with the Russian president, backing an earlier claim by a former crew member.
Chinese companies that aid Russia could face U.S. repercussions, commerce secretary warns.
Gina Raimondo, the commerce secretary, said the U.S. could take “devastating” action against Chinese companies that defy Russian sanctions.
The U.S. extends technology restrictions to Belarus and the Russian oil industry.
The Biden administration said the measures would degrade the ability to wage war on Ukraine and would prevent Belarus from channeling forbidden goods to Russia.
A Key Inflation Gauge Is Still Rising, and War Could Make It Worse
The Federal Reserve’s preferred measure is at a four-decade high. Rising gas prices tied to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are likely to push it up further.
Consumer Spending Fell in December as Omicron Spread
Overall spending fell for the first time since February as the virus and supply chain issues impacted purchases.
The Battle for the World’s Most Powerful Cyberweapon
A Times investigation reveals how Israel reaped diplomatic gains around the world from NSO’s Pegasus spyware — a tool America itself purchased but is now trying to ban.
U.S. Economy Grew 1.7% in 4th Quarter, Capping a Strong Year
The overall 2021 increase in the gross domestic product was the biggest in decades as the pandemic’s effects eased, though challenges continue.
Commerce Department Survey Uncovers ‘Alarming’ Chip Shortages
Increased demand for the semiconductors that power cars, electronics and electrical grids have stoked inflation and could cause more factory shutdowns in the United States.
Retail Sales Fell in December, a Slowdown in a Robust Holiday Shopping Season
Despite a decline of 1.9 percent in the final month of the year, sales for the fourth quarter of 2021 jumped 17.1 percent as consumers began their holiday shopping earlier.
U.S. Cracks Down on Firms Said to Aid China’s Repression of Minorities
The Commerce and Treasury Departments put new restrictions on an array of companies and institutions that they said were misusing biotechnology.
Mortgage Bills Are Coming Again. $10 Billion in Aid May Arrive First.
The federal Homeowner Assistance Fund aims to help those still struggling as forbearance periods come to an end. But the assistance isn’t limited to mortgage payments.
Retail Sales Jumped 1.7 Percent in October
Retail sales jumped 1.7 percent in October, the third monthly increase, a rise that highlighted the resilience of the U.S. economy.
U.S.-China Relations: What to Know
The Biden administration has called managing America’s relationship with Beijing “the biggest geopolitical test of the 21st century.”
European Steel Plan Shows Biden’s Bid to Merge Climate and Trade Policy
A potential agreement on steel trade provides the clearest look yet at how the Biden administration plans to implement a trade policy that is both protectionist and progressive
Retail Sales Jump in September as Consumers Spend More and Prices Rise
The 0.7 percent increase was better than economists expected as sales at restaurant and bars, gas stations and clothing stores continued to grow last month.
Commerce Dept. Will Shutter Unit That Conducted Rogue Investigations
An internal inquiry found that the office improperly opened investigations and overstepped its legal authority, but stopped short of attributing the problems to racial or ethnic bias.
Spies for Hire: China’s New Breed of Hackers Blends Espionage and Entrepreneurship
The state security ministry is recruiting from a vast pool of private-sector hackers who often have their own agendas and sometimes use their access for commercial cybercrime, experts say.
‘Rogue’ U.S. Agency Used Racial Profiling to Investigate Commerce Dept. Employees, Report Says
An obscure federal office operated for more than a decade as an “unaccountable police force” inside the Commerce Department, using extreme and unauthorized tactics.
U.S. Blocks Websites Linked to Iran at Key Point in Nuclear Talks
Officials seized the domains of about three dozen websites just days after Iran elected a new, hard-line president, and at a critical moment in nuclear negotiations.
Retail Sales Were Flat in April
Retail sales held steady in April after rising 10.7 percent the previous month, as Americans continued to spend government stimulus payments.
G.D.P. Growth Accelerated in the First Quarter
The U.S. economy expanded as the pandemic’s effects eased.
The Agency at the Center of America’s Tech Fight With China
Washington lawmakers, lobbyists and other parties have been vying to influence how the Bureau of Industry and Security, under the Biden administration, will approach a technology relationship with China.
Biden Gains Two Key Economic Advisers
The Senate confirmed Gina Raimondo as President Biden’s commerce secretary and Cecilia Rouse as the head of the Council of Economic Advisers.
Stimulus Checks Helped Personal Income Surge in January
Personal income and spending both surged in January as a new round of government checks hit Americans’ bank accounts.
How the Patent and Trademark Office Can Promote Racial Justice
President Biden should choose the next director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office carefully.
Biden Reinstates Aluminum Tariffs in One of His First Trade Moves
The move suggests the Biden administration may be inclined to maintain President Trump’s hefty tariffs, a decision that will please unions and progressives but disappoint manufacturers.
U.S. Economy Grew 1 Percent in the Last Quarter
The economy has regained roughly three-quarters of the output lost during the collapse last spring, and only a bit more than half of the jobs.
As Senate Weighs Biden’s Commerce Pick, Here’s What to Watch
A Senate committee will question Gina M. Raimondo, President Biden’s pick for commerce secretary, at a hearing Tuesday morning.
Retail Sales Drop in December for Third Straight Month
Consumer spending fell 0.7 percent, the Commerce Department reported, as the economic recovery showed signs of stalling.
Biden Selects Heads of Labor, Commerce and Small Business Agencies
With his victory secured, the president-elect is moving to fill out his economic team.
Biden Picks Rhode Island Governor for Commerce Secretary
The incoming administration will select Gina M. Raimondo, a moderate Democrat, to guide a sprawling department critical to business and technology.
New Signs of Economic Distress Emerge as Trump Imperils Aid Deal
A decline in consumer income and spending poses a further challenge to the recovery as jobless claims remain high and benefits approach a cutoff.
More Hacking Attacks Found
The warning, from the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity arm, indicated that hackers had found another line of attack to enter systems used by the government and Fortune 500 companies.
Billions Spent on U.S. Cyberdefenses Failed to Detect Giant Russian Hack
The broad Russian espionage attack on the U.S. government and private companies, underway since spring and detected only a few weeks ago, is among the greatest intelligence failures of modern times.
Russian Hackers Broke Into Federal Agencies, U.S. Officials Suspect
In one of the most sophisticated and perhaps largest hacks in more than five years, email systems were breached at the Treasury and Commerce Departments. Other breaches are under investigation.
Second federal judge rules against Trump administration’s TikTok ban
Another federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction against U.S. government restrictions that would have effectively banned TikTok from operating in the United States.
The ruling (embedded below) was made by U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols in a lawsuit filed by TikTok and ByteDance against President Donald Trump, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and the Commerce Department. Judge Nichols wrote the government “likely exceeded IEEPA’s [the International Emergency Economic Powers Act] express limitations as part of an agency action that was arbitrary and capricious.”
This is the second time a federal judge has issued an injunction against Trump administration restrictions that would have prevented U.S. companies, including internet hosting services, from transactions with TikTok and ByteDance. The first injunction was granted in October by U.S. District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone, in a separate lawsuit brought against the President Trump and the U.S. Commerce Department by three TikTok creators.
Both lawsuits challenge an executive order signed by President Trump on August 7, banning transactions with ByteDance. The order cited both the IEEPA and National Emergencies Act, claiming TikTok posed a national security threat because of its ownership by a Chinese company.
In today’s ruling, Judge Nichols wrote TikTok and ByteDance are likely to succeed in their claims that Secretary Ross’ prohibitions against TikTok and ByteDance, which were originally supposed to go into effect on November 12, violated limits in the IEEPA and the Administrative Procedures Act.
The Commerce Department already issued a notice last month saying it will comply with Judge Beetlestone’s injunction pending further legal developments.
ByteDance is also facing a divestiture order that would force it to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations. While it has reached a proposed agreement with Oracle and Walmart, ByteDance also asked the federal appeals court to vacate the order last month. On November 26, the Trump administration extended the order’s deadline to December 4, but allowed it to lapse without setting a new one.
In an email to TechCrunch, a TikTok spokesperson said, “We’re pleased that the court agreed with us and granted a preliminary injunction against all the prohibitions of the Executive Order. We’re focused on continuing to build TikTok as the home that 100 million Americans, including families and small businesses, rely upon for expression, connection, economic livelihood, and true joy.”
TechCrunch has also contacted the Commerce Department for comment.
To keep track of the often overlapping developments in ByteDance and TikTok’s fight with the U.S. government, we have compiled a comprehensive timeline and will keep it updated.
TikTok vs Trump Injunction by TechCrunch on Scribd
Census Officials Say They Can’t Meet Trump’s Deadline for Population Count
Officials have concluded the Census Bureau won’t have data on time to carry out the administration’s goal of stripping unauthorized immigrants from population totals for apportionment.
Judge: Trump Admin‘s TikTok ban would cause “irreparable harm” to creators

Enlarge / Visitors visit the booth of Douyin (TikTok) at the 2019 smart expo in Hangzhou, China, Oct. 18, 2019. (credit: Costfoto | Barcroft Media | Getty Images)
A federal judge in Pennsylvania has blocked a Trump administration order that would have banned TikTok from operating inside the United States as of November 12, finding that content creators who use the short-form video platform to make a living would suffer “irreparable harm” if the ban were to go through.
The “significant and unrecoverable economic loss caused by the shutdown of the TikTok platform” was grounds for granting an injunction, Judge Wendy Beetlestone of the US District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania wrote in a ruling (PDF) today.
President Donald Trump in August issued an executive order declaring TikTok (as well as another China-based app, WeChat) to be a national emergency. That order gave the Department of Commerce 45 days to put a list of banned actions into place. Commerce did so, prohibiting new TikTok downloads after September 20 and banning nearly every other TikTok feature after November 12.
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Economy’s Big Rebound Leaves a Shortfall as Progress Slows
Third-quarter growth set a record, fueled by federal assistance. But recent signs point to a loss of momentum in job gains and production.
A Biden Win Could Renew a Democratic Split on Trade
Democrats have been unified by their desire to oust President Trump. But if that happens, deep divisions on the issue of trade are likely to reappear.
Trump Allies Amp Up Fight Over Tech’s Legal Shield Before Election
Their animosity is likely to be on full display at a hearing on Wednesday with the leaders of Facebook, Google and Twitter.