United States Secretary of Commerce

“ As part of these responsibilities, the Export Promotion Cabinet, in coordination with the Advocacy Center at the Department of Commerce, is focused on ensuring that the Federal Government's commercial advocacy effectively promotes exports by U.S. businesses, particularly by those firms competing for international contracts against foreign firms that may benefit from strong home government support. ”

“ It is desirable that the Government continue its helpful attitude toward American business. The activities of the Department of Commerce have contributed largely to the present satisfactory position in our international trade, which has reached about $9,000,000,000 annually. There should be no slackening of effort in that direction. It is also important that the department's assistance to domestic commerce be continued. There is probably no way in which the Government can aid sound economic progress more effectively than by cooperation with our business men to reduce wastes in distribution. ”

“ The Secretary, after consultation with the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of State, may suspend the allocation provisions of paragraph (c) , or may establish quantitative limitations for periods of time other than calendar quarters as provided in paragraph (b) , if the Secretary determines that such action or actions are appropriate to give due consideration to the interests in the United States sugar market of domestic producers and materially affected contracting parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. ”

“ Its mission of fostering, promoting, and developing the domestic and foreign commerce of the United States has ever since remained both vital and truly worthy of public recognition.
Throughout this century the Department of Commerce has helped Presidents and the Congress develop policies to support our economic growth, our scientific and technological advancement and security, and our international trade. ”

“ The efforts of that Department to secure for citizens of the United States equal opportunities in the markets of the world and to expand American commerce have been most successful. The volume of business obtained in new fields of competition and upon new lines is already very great and Congress is urged to continue to support the Department of State in its endeavors for further trade expansion. ”

“ Section 203 (h) (4) of the Trade Act of 1974 (the Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 2253 (h) (4) ) permits the President to reduce or terminate any such relief if, after taking into account advice received from the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) and after seeking advice from the Secretaries of Commerce and Labor, the President determines that the reduction or termination is in the national interest. ”

“ Trade promotion authority is a very important development so that the President can enter into trade agreements throughout the world. It's important for the Senate not to retreat within the United States borders. It's important for the Senate not to send signals that the United States is isolationist and, therefore, it's important that they give him trade promotion authority. Trade promotion authority is good for the economy. Workers involved in America's export industry tend to make more money than workers involved in domestic products. Today there are 130 free trade agreements in the world ”

“ The President believes that Congress should take up trade promotion authority and pass it this fall. The President thinks failure to pass trade promotion authority this fall would be a retreat from the United States' role in the world. That would hurt the economy and it would be an unwise delay that could hinder their chances of getting trade promotion authority passed. ”

“ Has not the time arrived, then, for a new and important office to be created, which is to deal with all industrial matters and watch over the whole commerce of the nation, and which is to be presided over by a Secretary of State who can keep in close touch with the interests of our great industries, and whose duty it would be to ensure continuity in our commercial policy and keep it as far as possible removed from the political arena? ”

“ So long as the finances of the Nation are kept upon an honest basis no other question of internal economy with which the Congress has the power to deal begins to approach in importance the matter of endeavoring to secure proper industrial conditions under which the individuals--and especially the great corporations--doing an interstate business are to act. The makers of our National Constitution provided especially that the regulation of interstate commerce should come within the sphere of the General Government. ”

“ Generally, in the industrial combinations called 'trusts,' the principal business is the sale of goods in many States and in foreign markets; in other words, the interstate and foreign business far exceeds the business done in any one State. This fact will justify the Federal Government in granting a Federal charter to such a combination to make and sell in interstate and foreign commerce the products of useful manufacture under such limitations as will secure a compliance with the anti-trust law. ”

“ Independently of the exigency of the case, many considerations of great weight urge a policy having in view a provision of revenue to meet to a certain extent the demands of the nation, without relying altogether on the precarious resource of foreign commerce. I am satisfied that internal duties and excises, with corresponding imposts on foreign articles of the same kind, would, without imposing any serious burdens on the people, enhance the price of produce, promote our manufactures, and augment the revenue, at the same time that they made it more secure and permanent. ”

“ We want to work with Congress on a competitiveness package that will complement these efforts. For Congress to place severe restrictions on international trade with tariffs and barriers and to limit my ability to utilize our trade laws when necessary, would damage our own prosperity and that of virtually the entire world. I urge Congress to bear this in mind. As major trade legislation comes to the floor, the United States is already becoming more competitive. Now, it's up to Congress to show that it understands economic reality. ”

“ ADVANTAGE OF MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TARIFF PROVISION
The importance which our manufactures have assumed in the commerce of the world in competition with the manufactures of other countries again draws attention to the duty of this Government to use its utmost endeavors to secure impartial treatment for American products in all markets. Healthy commercial rivalry in international intercourse is best assured by the possession of proper means for protecting and promoting our foreign trade. It is natural that competitive countries should view with some concern this steady expansion of our commerce. ”

“ The Department of Commerce and Labor will be not only the clearing house for information regarding the business transactions of the Nation, but the executive arm of the Government to aid in strengthening our domestic and foreign markets, in perfecting our transportation facilities, in building up our merchant marine, in preventing the entrance of undesirable immigrants, in improving commercial and industrial conditions, and in bringing together on common ground those necessary partners in industrial progress--capital and labor. ”

“ It is in America's economic and national security interests to promote commerce by strengthening our relationships with our trading partners, vigorously enforcing our Nation's trade laws, improving the overall conditions for competition and trade, and ensuring the strength of our manufacturing and defense industrial bases. For many years, the United States has not obtained the full scope of benefits anticipated under a number of international trade agreements or from participating in the World Trade Organization. ”

“ We believe the U.S. trade position would be strengthened by uniting many of this government's trade responsibilities under one roof, so we proposed legislation to create a department of international trade and industry. We're also taking action to create opportunities for trade. ”

“ In our country an uniform experience of 40 years has shown that what ever the tariff of duties upon articles imported from abroad has been, the amount of importations has always borne an average value nearly approaching to that of the exports, though occasionally differing in the balance, some times being more and some times less. It is, indeed, a general law of prosperous commerce that the real value of exports should by a small, and only a small, balance exceed that of imports, that balance being a permanent addition to the wealth of the nation. ”

“ A series of announcements to begin today. The President intends to nominate Michael J. Garcia to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement. The President intends to nominate Mary Sheila Gall to be Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. ”

“ We should formulate a law requiring a Federal license of all corporations engaged in interstate commerce and embodying in the license or in the conditions under which it is to be issued, specific regulations designed to secure competitive selling and prevent unconscionable profits in the method of marketing. Such a law would afford a welcome opportunity to effect other much needed reforms in the business of interstate shipment and in the methods of corporations which are engaged in it ”

“ During this period the Congress will have an opportunity to make similar permanent provisions and regulations with regard to all goods destined for interstate commerce and to exclude them from interstate shipment, if the requirements of the law are not compiled with. Some such regulation is imperatively necessary. The abuses that have grown up in the manipulation of prices by the withholding of foodstuffs and other necessaries of life cannot otherwise be effectively prevented. ”

“ It is the policy of the United States Government that all department and agency heads and all Federal employees involved in the procurement of any and all goods and services shall assist SDBs, HBCUs, and MIs, as applicable, to develop viable, self-sustaining businesses capable of competing on an equal basis in the mainstream of the American economy. To that end, all Federal personnel shall commit to the letter and spirit of all laws promoting the participation of SDBs, HBCUs, and MIs in Federal procurement. ”

“ Congress should give prompt attention to the restoration of our American merchant marine, once the pride of the seas in all the great ocean highways of commerce. To my mind, few more important subjects so imperatively demand its intelligent consideration. The United States has progressed with marvelous rapidity in every field of enterprise and endeavor until we have become foremost in nearly all the great lines of inland trade, commerce, and industry. ”

“ During its longer session the present Congress enacted a new tariff law. The protection of the American standards of living demanded the insurance it provides against the distorted conditions of world commerce The framers of the law made provision for a certain flexibility of customs duties, whereby it is possible to readjust them as developing conditions may require. The enactment has imposed a large responsibility upon the Executive, but that responsibility will be discharged with a broad mindfulness of the whole business situation. ”