As Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Services in the International Trade Administration, I have noticed two common threads woven into the fabric of America's private sector: American industries remain strong because they have learned, advanced and innovated; and they can compete and win against anybody if they are given a level playing field. U.S. companies are global leaders in developing and applying cuttingedge technology, in providing quality, knowledge-based jobs, and in creating new value through offering innovative integration of manufacturing and services.