The U.S. Department of Commerce has a broad mandate to advance
economic growth and jobs and opportunities for the American people. It
has cross cutting responsibilities in the areas of trade, technology,
entrepreneurship, economic development, environmental stewardship and
statistical research and analysis. The products and services the
department provides touch the lives of Americans and American
companies in many ways, including weather forecasts, the decennial
census, and patent and trademark protection for inventors and
businesses. The development of commerce to provide new opportunities
was the central goal at the department's beginning in 1903 and it
remains a primary obligation today.
