History

• The Department of Commerce and Labor was created in 1903 and lasted until 1913, when it was renamed the Department of Commerce. Its labor functions were broken off to form the Department of Labor.
  
  

Domestic Duties

• Within the United States, the Secretary of Commerce oversees the acquisition, analysis and dissemination of information to help achieve increased social and economic growth, as well as technological advancement. This requires collaborating with government agencies and businesses.
  
  

International Duties

• The Secretary of Commerce is responsible for promoting and assisting international trade, as well as solidifying the international economic position of the United States.
  
  

Assistants

• The Secretary of Commerce presides over the Office of the Secretary, the management arm of the USDOC, which also includes secretarial officers such as the Deputy Secretary, who serves as the Secretary's principal deputy, and the Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, who assists the Secretary in congressional and legislative relations.
  
  

Succession

• Officers like the Deputy Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs are referred to as secretarial officers. They form a line of succession in the event that the Secretary of Commerce dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the duties required of the position.