Legal Definitions - STAT-USA

STAT-USA was a specialized unit within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its primary role was to collect and distribute a wide range of economic and trade information that had been compiled by various other federal government agencies. STAT-USA made this valuable data accessible to businesses, researchers, and the general public, typically through subscription-based services and a network of federal depository libraries. Its mission was to provide timely and comprehensive statistics to help users understand economic trends, identify market opportunities, and make informed decisions.

Here are a few scenarios illustrating how STAT-USA would have served its purpose:

• Imagine a small manufacturing company in Ohio considering exporting its products to new international markets. The company's owner might have subscribed to STAT-USA's services to access detailed reports on global trade patterns, import/export statistics for specific countries, and economic indicators relevant to potential overseas markets. This information would help the owner assess the viability of new markets and develop an informed export strategy.

  This example demonstrates STAT-USA's role in providing crucial trade information to businesses, enabling them to make strategic decisions about international expansion.

• A university economics professor is conducting research on the impact of trade agreements on U.S. industries over the past two decades. To gather reliable historical data, the professor might have visited a federal depository library that received materials from STAT-USA. Through this channel, the professor could access archived economic reports, trade balance figures, and industry-specific statistics compiled by federal agencies, all centralized and disseminated by STAT-USA.

  This illustrates how STAT-USA served as a conduit for academic researchers and the public to access comprehensive, government-sourced economic data for analytical and educational purposes.

• A financial analyst working for an investment firm needs to understand the current state of the U.S. economy to advise clients on investment portfolios. The analyst might have regularly consulted STAT-USA's disseminated reports, which would include data points like GDP growth, inflation rates, employment figures, and consumer spending trends, all aggregated from various government sources. This consolidated economic overview would be vital for making timely investment recommendations.

  This scenario highlights STAT-USA's function in providing up-to-date economic indicators to professionals who rely on accurate government data for financial analysis and strategic planning.