Content about U.S.

According to a report by Reuters, that U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer on Friday said he was "seriously concerned" about whether the female plaintiffs suing Wal-Mart Stores have sufficient evidence to proceed with their re-filed gender discrimination lawsuit.

The group is again filing suit against Wal-Mart for allegedly denying them pay raises and promotions for gender-related reasons. The original class action suit of as many as 1.5 million current and former Wal-Mart employers was dismantled by the U.S. Supreme Court last year.

Hurd Windows and Doors has been named a 2012 Exporter of the Year winner for marketing its Made in America products in 20 countries worldwide. The award was presented by ThinkGlobal Inc., publisher of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial News USA.

The Exporter of the Year award in the Building/Construction/Hardware category was presented to Hurd’s President and CEO Dominic Truniger and Director of International Sales Scott Klieforth during the Asia/Pacific Business Outlook conference in Los Angeles.

U.S. Senator Mark Udall (D-Colorado) commended Denver Lumber for stocking and selling beetle-killed lumber for construction -- and called on home builders and other lumber distributors to do the same. 

"Denver Lumber is filling a much-needed niche in Colorado by supplying beetle-killed wood to home builders,” Udall said in a statement. “I applaud their leadership in putting beetle kill to use and supporting rural economies that depend on our forests." 

Trade officials from the United States and Canada have extended their Softwood Lumber Agreement for two more years. The 2006 agreement was signed with no changes on Jan. 24 by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Canadian Minister for International Trade Ed Fast. The extension will be in effect through Oct. 15, 2015.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has decided to move forward with an investigation into claims that imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from China are allegedly subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value. All six Commissioners voted in the affirmative.

Appliance maker Whirlpool prevailed in a preliminary finding by the U.S. Commerce Department that foreign producers in South Korea and Mexico -- including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics -- violated United States and International trade laws by “dumping” bottom-mount refrigerators in the United States.

The general perception of the U.S. economy in the eyes of the consumer is slightly better than last month, but slightly worse than last year.

Consumer research from Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD Group shows that consumers remain concerned in September.

The September 2011 NPD U.S. Economic Perception Indicator, a measure of consumer confidence, increased slightly to an index reading of 36.6, on a scale of 0 -- "very concerned" -- to 100 -- "very confident."

A Canada-based franchise operation based on independently owned yard care companies continues to gain traction in the United States. 

Founded in 1970 by an Ontario businessman, Weed Man branched into franchising in 1976. Each operation, which provides complete lawn care service (including fertilization, weed, insect and disease management, as well as aeration and seeding), is locally owned ad operated. 

Consumer research from Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD Group shows more concern than confidence in the economy.

The June 2011 NPD U.S. Economic Perception Indicator, a measure of consumer confidence, is down slightly to an index reading of 39.5. The figure indicates consumers are slightly more concerned about the economy than they were last month, when the index stood at 40.0, or in the same month last year, when the index was also at 40.0.

Canadian home-improvement retailer RONA is still looking for commercial and pro-oriented acquisitions in the United States -- and it has as much as C$300 million (US$316 million) to spend, according to a Reuters article. 

RONA CEO Robert Dutton told Reuters in an interview last week that his Quebec-based company is focusing on U.S. distributors or commercial and professional-orientated units, rather than customer-facing retail stores. 

The March 2011 NPD U.S. Economic Perception Indicator, a measure of consumer confidence, showed a 2.7 point decline from the previous month to a new reading of 39.2. The March figure is also down from 40.1 in March 2010.

Consumers' economic perception is certainly not helped by the near-record low housing construction and home sales reports that were released in the last two weeks.

The February 2011 NPD U.S. Economic Perception Indicator, a measure of consumer confidence, is up slightly. The reading from January 2011 shows consumers are slightly less concerned than they were last month.

The NPD Group's U.S. Economic Perception Indicator measures consumer beliefs about the current and near-term state of the U.S. economy, on a scale of 0 -- "very concerned" -- to 100 -- "very confident."