U.S. Department of Commerce

What U.S. Department of Commerce does

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) is a cabinet-level federal executive department of the United States government, established in 1913 and headquartered in the Herbert C. Hoover Building at 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. Its statutory mission is to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity across American communities, which it discharges through a network of operating bureaus: the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis (economic statistics), NOAA (weather, oceans, atmosphere), NIST (standards and technology), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (intellectual property rights), the International Trade Administration (trade promotion), the Bureau of Industry and Security (export controls), the Economic Development Administration, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the Minority Business Development Agency.

Unlike a commercial enterprise, DOC does not sell products or services. It is funded through congressional appropriations and operates through policy implementation, regulatory enforcement, inter-agency coordination, and federal program administration. Its "operating revenue" is functionally its annual appropriation and the multi-billion-dollar CHIPS and Science Act R&D budget, which it deploys to semiconductor, quantum computing, and critical-materials companies — in many cases taking direct minority equity stakes (e.g., USA Rare Earth 10% for $300M; equity stakes announced across nine quantum companies including IBM, Rigetti, D-Wave, Infleqtion). Its channels of engagement are regulatory (BIS export licenses and ICT supply-chain rules; USPTO patents), financial (CHIPS R&D awards, SelectUSA investment promotion), and informational (BEA/Census/NOAA data products, data.commerce.gov APIs).

Its recent strategic posture under Secretary Howard Lutnick has shifted markedly toward active industrial policy: concentrated CHIPS R&D deployment in 2026, expanded use of export controls on frontier AI and connected vehicles, and the creation of a permanent U.S. Investment Accelerator office. The Department's competitive position rests on statutory monopoly over core economic, IP, weather, and trade functions, on its ownership of foundational national datasets, and on the directed-ecosystem leverage created by tens of billions of dollars in CHIPS-era funding authority.

Name

U.S. Department of Commerce

Legal name

U.S. Department of Commerce

Website

https://commerce.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The U.S. Department of Commerce is a federal executive department that promotes U.S. economic growth through trade enforcement, intellectual property administration, economic statistics, weather services, and the deployment of CHIPS Act funding (including equity stakes) to domestic semiconductor, quantum, and critical-materials companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Federal Economic Administration

NAICS

Administration of Economic Programs (9261), Administration of Economic Programs (926), Administration of General Economic Programs (926110), Administration of General Economic Programs (92611), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (92613)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade, Industry & Economic Development Administration (BPAIAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trade, Export Controls & Customs Compliance (BPAHAFAN), Product Regulatory Compliance for Cross-Border Trade (e.g., FDA, USDA, CPSC, CE/REACH/RoHS) (TLACAGAH), Sanctions, Embargo & Export Controls (EAR/ITAR) Compliance Tools (TLAEAOAI), Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Trade promotion assistance
• Patent and trademark processing
• Weather forecasting services
• Census and economic statistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Appropriations: The Department is funded primarily through congressional appropriations that support its core operations including trade promotion, economic development, weather forecasting, census operations, and patent/trademark processing.
2. CHIPS Program Funding: The Department distributes CHIPS Act funding to semiconductor and quantum computing companies for domestic manufacturing research and development, taking equity stakes in some recipients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The U.S. Department of Commerce is a federal executive department that creates conditions for economic growth and opportunity. It provides trade promotion, export enforcement, economic data and statistics, patent and trademark processing, weather forecasting, fisheries management, standards development, and administers CHIPS Act semiconductor and quantum technology funding. Services are delivered through its operating bureaus including NOAA, USPTO, NIST, Census Bureau, BEA, EDA, ITA, BIS, MBDA, and NTIA, funded through congressional appropriations rather than commercial sales.

Product overview

The U.S. Department of Commerce is a federal executive department that does not offer commercial products in the traditional sense. It provides government services, economic data, trade facilitation, and regulatory functions through its various bureaus including NOAA, USPTO, NIST, Census Bureau, BEA, and others. The department operates websites including commerce.gov and data.commerce.gov that provide public access to economic indicators, population statistics, environmental data, and developer resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trade Promotion and Export Assistance
• Patent and Trademark Processing
• Weather Forecasting and Atmospheric Services
• Census and Demographic Data
• Economic Statistics and Indicators
• CHIPS Act Semiconductor and Quantum Funding
• Export Controls and Trade Enforcement
• Standards and Technology Research
• Economic Development Grants and Assistance
• SelectUSA Investment Promotion
• Bureau APIs and Developer Data Resources
• Minority Business Development Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $56 billion in investment commitments catalyzed through SelectUSA program

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National LaboratoriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Department collaborates with national laboratories including Sandia National Laboratories and U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory on semiconductor research and quantum computing development through CHIPS programs.
• State GovernmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Department works with state governments on economic development initiatives, with examples including collaboration with New York on Micron's semiconductor investment and various state-level trade promotion activities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• U.S. Department of Energy: Cabinet-level department that co-administers CHIPS-related R&D, quantum information science, and advanced-manufacturing programs through its national labs. Directly comparable as a sister industrial-policy and standards agency.
• U.S. Department of Defense: Cabinet-level department that co-funds semiconductor and quantum R&D (e.g., DARPA, Air Force Research Laboratory) and is an end consumer of Commerce-supported technologies. Comparable as a partner/competitor for CHIPS and AI program oversight.
• Export-Import Bank of the United States: Independent federal agency financing U.S. exports. Comparable as a federal financier of trade and industrial-policy projects that complements Commerce's ITA promotion and CHIPS R&D deployment.
• U.S. Small Business Administration: Federal agency administering programs for small and minority-owned businesses. Comparable for MBDA-like programs and minority-business development outreach delivered through Commerce's MBDA bureau.
• U.S. Department of the Treasury: Cabinet-level department with overlapping economic-policy roles (sanctions, investment screening, capital markets). Comparable as a federal economic-policy peer exercising statutory authority over financial flows and trade-related national security.
• U.S. Department of State: Cabinet-level department coordinating international economic engagement and export-control diplomacy. Comparable as a federal peer managing the diplomatic dimensions of trade and technology policy Commerce influences.
• Office of Science and Technology Policy: White House office coordinating federal R&D and emerging-tech policy across agencies including Commerce. Comparable as a peer-setting body for AI, quantum, and biotech industrial-policy frameworks.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Trade Representative: Cabinet-level office that sets U.S. trade policy, negotiates FTAs, and leads Section 301 actions. Comparable as the principal government counterpart for trade promotion and enforcement that Commerce's ITA supports.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CommerceGov
• Facebookfacebook.com/Commercegov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/4835

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments86 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about U.S. Department of Commerce