Clinton, Brown to call for tougher trade standards tonight

YOUNGSTOWN – During a campaign rally in Youngstown tonight, Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential frontrunner, will call for higher trade standards to assist the auto industry.

Clinton will discuss standards that result in U.S. automakers facing unfair competition from overseas automakers whose cars are largely built with parts made in China, according to a campaign aide.

Clinton will attend a rally at M7 Technologies, 1019 Ohio Drive in Youngstown. She is expected to speak at 7:45 p.m. The doors will open two hours prior.

Clinton opposes weak “rules of origin” that allow cars made with cheaper materials from other countries, particularly China, to receive benefits of being “made in America” and eligible for preferences under trade deals, the aide said.

Under the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the content threshold for vehicles is 45 percent, meaning cars could receive the benefits of the trade agreement as long as at least that percentage of the car was built in the United States.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, will be with Clinton at tonight's event. Brown has opposed this standard for automakers.

Clinton will also discuss her opposition to the “rules of origin” for the steel industry, the aide said. Clinton will discuss what her campaign calls China's trade abuses with steel that led, in part, to recent layoffs at Vallourec Star.

While numerous surrogates – including her husband, former President Bill Clinton – are campaigning throughout Ohio today, just three days before the state's primary, the candidate is making only two stops. One is in Cleveland and the other is in Youngstown.

As for her Democratic opponent, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, talk of him visiting the Mahoning Valley appears to be premature.

The two candidates are speaking Sunday night at the Ohio Democratic Party's annual dinner in Columbus.

When asked about a Valley visit from Sanders, his campaign today would only confirm a rally at Ohio State University's Schottenstein Center before the Democratic dinner.

Follow Vindy.com tonight for updates on Clinton's visit to Youngstown. And don't miss Sunday's Vindicator for the complete story.