Trade will be Trump’s Achilles’ heel in Ohio

CLEVELAND

Ohio’s leading Republican officeholders, Gov. John R. Kasich and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, reject a key provision of Donald Trump’s trade policy: deep-sixing all agreements with this nation’s trading partners.

Trump, who received the GOP nomination for president Tuesday, sent shock waves through business and industry with a recent speech on trade. In addition to saying that as president he arbitrarily would set aside the agreements, the New York City billionaire contended he has the innate ability to demand – and receive – more favorable terms and conditions with our trading partners.

The prospects of his actions – if Congress bowed to his wishes – triggering a trade war does not faze the GOP nominee. Indeed, he has dismissed such talk with this comment: “I’m a great negotiator.”

But Gov. Kasich and Sen. Portman, recognizing the importance of trade to Ohio’s overall economy, aren’t buying what the real-estate developer is selling.

“We need more exports,” said Portman, who is seeking re-election to a second six-year term. He conducted a question-and-answer session with reporters Tuesday.

The senator is in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention that began Monday and wraps up Thursday with Trump’s acceptance speech.

Kasich, who created a major buzz at the convention with his refusal to endorse Trump, has said that global trade is one of the issues that separate them. The governor, known for his straight talk, has refused to put political expediency ahead of principle. Had he endorsed Trump – he also has said he won’t be around for Thursday’s proceedings – he would be hailed as the Great Uniter of the Republican Party. Now, Trump’s operatives are harshly criticizing him.

But Kasich can’t bring himself to ignore the many flaws he sees in the arrogant, misogynistic, racist nominee of his party.

He and Portman are absolutely right in rejecting Trump’s plan to set aside this nation’s trade agreements. The fallout in Ohio would be devastating.

In 2015, the Ohio Development Services Agency’s research office published a report on the state’s exports.

Here’s the bottom line: Ohio merchandise exports were valued at $50.7 billion in 2015, a decrease of 3 percent from 2014. By comparison, the United States experienced a decrease of 7.2 percent in exports since 2014.

According to the report, based on an analysis by Ed Simmons, last year:

Ohio was the eighth-largest exporting state.

215 countries and territories received exports from Ohio.

Nine countries received more than $1 billion in Ohio exports.

42 of the 98 commodity groups recorded exports exceeding $100 million with 10 surpassing $1 billion.

Exports to Canada totaled $20.1 billion, 40 percent of the state figure. By comparison, U.S. exports to Canada were 19 percent of the national total.

And here’s why Ohioans who are rabidly supporting Donald Trump should take a step back and think: Shipments to Mexico totaled $6.5 billion, Ohio’s second-largest market, which was an increase of 8 percent from 2014.

What does Trump say about Mexico? First, he says of illegal Mexican immigrants: “They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists.”

To stop the flow of Mexicans across the border, he has promised to build a huge wall – and to require the Mexican government to pay for it.

Not only will the Mexicans not pay for the wall, but they most certainly would retaliate against Trump’s protectionist trade programs.

And that would hurt Ohio’s economy.

Kasich and Portman aren’t blind to the realities of global trade and have spoken out against unfair trade practices by China and other nations. They have called for leveling the playing field.

Republican Portman and Ohio’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown have joined forces to push through legislation to clamp down on the dumping of steel and other products and to stop China from manipulating its currency.

The Mahoning Valley knows firsthand the effects of the unfair trade practices and has strongly supported action by the White House and Congress to penalize those nations that cheat.

That said, the Valley does benefit from global trade. According to the ODSA report, the value of exports for the Youngstown metropolitan area was $1.27 billion, centered largely on transportation.

Expanding trade is good for the Valley, for the state of Ohio and for the nation. Trump, who has boasted of having business interests around the world and even sells products made in China and other countries through his various countries, needs to tell the American people the truth: His protectionist policies will deliver a crippling blow to the U.S. economy.

Here’s what Thomas J. Donohue, chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told the New York Times: “Under Trump’s trade plans, we would see higher prices, fewer jobs and a weaker economy.”

Trump’s response: The chamber is a “special interest.”

Really?