GAO summarized problems facing the Department of Commerce and provided possible solutions.

GAO found that: (1) the International Trade Administration inadequately plans and executes its overseas trade promotion activities; (2) Commerce inadequately oversees and administers the export control system for civilian products with military applications; (3) the Bureau of the Census faces high census costs and staffing shortages; and (4) Commerce inadequately supervises the Patent and Trademark Office's development of a new automated patent system. GAO also found that Commerce will need to: (1) improve its export promotion activities; and (2) address planning and decisionmaking problems associated with the decennial census.