The Commerce Department's mission is to promote American economic growth and competitiveness. It runs the U.S. Census Bureau, which conducts the constitutionally mandated population count every ten years and produces the economic statistics, including GDP data, that guide decisions across government and private industry.

The department houses the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which issues every hurricane, tornado, and severe weather forecast in the country through the National Weather Service, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which grants the patents and trademarks that protect American inventions and brands.

Commerce also manages export controls on sensitive technology, particularly semiconductors and other items with potential military applications, negotiates trade policy alongside the U.S. Trade Representative, and sets industrial standards through the National Institute of Standards and Technology.