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Obama touts trade-battle efforts
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
President Barack Obama used two campaign stops in Ohio on Monday to tout efforts to combat unfair trade policies in China that are hurting U.S. manufacturers, particularly automakers and suppliers.
Speaking to thousands in Cincinnati and Columbus, Obama said his administration had launched an enforcement action with the World Trade Organization alleging illegal subsidies on automobiles and parts. It’s the second such action in recent months.
“Two months ago, we moved to hold China accountable for unfair trade practices that harm American automakers,” Obama told about 4,500 people assembled in a Columbus park. “Today, my administration is launching a new action against China, this one against illegal subsidies that encourage companies to ship auto parts and manufacturing jobs overseas. This directly hurts men and women on assembly lines in Ohio and throughout the Midwest.”
He added, “When folks are breaking the rules, we go after them.”
The president contrasted the move Monday with advertisements and stump speeches by his Republican challenger Mitt Romney, citing the former Massachusetts governor’s actions in the private sector.
“I understand my opponent’s been running around Ohio claiming he’s going to take the fight to China,” Obama said. “This is a guy whose experience has been owning companies that were called pioneers of outsourcing jobs to countries like China, made money investing in companies shipping jobs to China. You can’t stand up to China if all you’ve done is send them our jobs.”
But the Romney campaign and other Republicans countered that the president’s action was too little, too late.
“As a child I was taught to do the right thing before it was popular, and President Obama has spent 43 months failing to confront China’s unfair trade practices until 49 days before Election Day,” Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett said in a released statement. “Ohio voters will have a choice on Election Day between a president who’s too-little, too-late policy decisions raided Delphi middle-class pensions; or someone like Mitt Romney who will confront China’s unfair trade policies from Day One and fight for the middle class.”
Amanda Henneberg, a spokeswoman for the Romney campaign, added in a released statement, “American manufacturing is struggling in the Obama economy. The president’s misguided, ineffective policies have hampered the private sector and allowed China to flaunt the rules while middle-class families suffer. Today’s report confirms what we’ve known for months — the manufacturing sector is in jeopardy of falling even further behind unless we change course. As president, Mitt Romney will deliver a fresh start for manufacturers by promoting trade that works for America and fiscal policies that encourage investment, hiring, and growth.”
Including Monday’s speeches in Columbus and Cincinnati, Obama has made stops in Ohio a dozen times since the beginning of the year and 28 times since taking office nearly four years ago.
Much of his 37-minute Columbus speech was standard campaign-stump material with calls for continued investment in advanced and renewable energy technologies and clean coal as a means of reducing the country’s dependence on foreign sources, concerted efforts to reduce the national debt without raising taxes on middle-class families and an increased focus on education and training to prepare workers for jobs.
But the China trade-enforcement action was the big news on the day, with the administration saying the move is aimed at protecting manufacturing jobs, including 54,200 Ohioans who work directly in the auto-parts industry.
“I wake up every single day thinking about America’s workers and making sure they have a fair shot in this economy,” Obama said. “When other countries don’t play by the rules, we walk the walk. We brought more trade cases against China in one term than the previous administration did in two.”
He added, “We’re going to export more product, and we’re going to outsource fewer jobs.”