[CTC] Report finds trade with China cost Ohio over 90,000 jobs

[Andrew Gussert]

On Five Year Anniversary of Portman's Nomination as Bush's Trade
Representative, Ohio Labor Leaders Spotlight Devastating Impact on Ohio
Workers, Economy


Mar 17, 2010

On today's five year anniversary of President George W. Bush's nomination of
Congressman Rob Portman as U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Ohio labor
leaders and fair trade advocates denounced Portman's job-killing USTR record
and emphasized the urgent need for Ohio's next U.S. Senator to promote
common-sense trade policies that invest in workers and strengthen
manufacturing. 

Doug Sizemore, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Cincinnati AFL-CIO;
Donnie Blatt, Rapid Response Coordinator for the United Steel Workers; Karen
Hansen, Director of Ohio Conference on Fair Trade; and Joe Logan, Director
of Agricultural Programs for the Ohio Environmental Council & Agricultural
Co-Chair for the Coalition for a Prosperous America offered a dismal
performance review <http://ohiodems.org/assets/portman%20review.pdf>  of
Portman's 2005-2006 tenure as Bush's USTR. Citing skyrocketing trade
deficits and Ohio trade-related job loss by the thousands, the labor leaders
gave Portman a failing grade for his role as Trade Ambassador. 

"This anniversary is important because as we weather this recession, we
can't forget how we got here. Portman's job-killing trade policies were a
recipe for disaster five years ago, and they are definitely not the way out
of this economic crisis," Doug Sizemore said. "Portman betrayed Ohio workers
in Washington plain and simple. We can't afford to have him represent our
voice in the Senate." 

"Congressman Portman's record as President Bush's right-hand man in pushing
job-killing trade policies is unparalleled in its utter disregard for Ohio
workers and for the manufacturing sector that helped make Ohio strong,"
Donnie Blatt said. "Now more than ever, we cannot afford to let Portman
U-turn our trade policy. Ohio's voice in the Senate is too important to
unleash Portman in Washington again." 

Portman's record as USTR under Bush is defined by massive trade-related job
loss and a mounting trade deficit. In Ohio, more than 17,000 workers had
their jobs shipped overseas on his watch [Ohio Policy Matters International
Trade and Job Loss 2007]. The U.S. trade deficit rose nearly 6.5 percent,
slowing economic growth and impeding job creation [US Census Bureau, Foreign
Trade Statistics, Retrieved 5/13/09][Ohio Policy Matters, 2007]. This rising
deficit under Portman revealed a staggering trade imbalance with China,
which spiked for the first time in our nation's history to reach more than
$200 billion [Knight Ridder, 4/13/06; US News and World Report, 4/24/06; The
Hollywood Reporter, 2/15/06; Census Foreign Trade Statistics,
www.census.gov]. Portman's failure to address China's currency manipulation
of the Yuan as much as 40 percent in 2006 only exacerbated the imbalance and
did nothing to help U.S. manufacturers and workers compete in the global
marketplace [Knight Ridder, 4/13/06; US News and World Report, 4/24/06; The
Hollywood Reporter, 2/15/06; Census Foreign Trade Statistics,
www.census.gov]. 

Portman was also instrumental as USTR to the passage of the Central American
Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which put American workers and U.S. businesses
at a competitive disadvantage. The self-described "quarterback" strong-armed
the legislation through Congress with promises of a trade surplus. Portman
said regarding CAFTA, "estimates are that there could be up to a $700
million trade surplus in the first year" [PBS, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,
6/23/05]. Portman's estimations, however could not have been more off-base.
He succeed only in contributing to the already burgeoning U.S. trade
deficit, which increased another 4.18 percent following the passage of CAFTA
and rising to -$799,595,000. [US Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Statistics,
Retrieved 5/13/09]. 

"The numbers speak for themselves: trade-related job loss and the U.S. trade
deficit skyrocketed under Portman's watch. It's unthinkable for Portman to
receive anything but failing marks for his record as Bush's U.S. Trade
Representative." Karen Hansen said. "Ohio workers, businesses, and middle
class families deserve better than Portman's agenda in Washington. We need a
U.S. Senator who is committed to fair-trade policies that puts Ohio on a
level playing field in the global marketplace." 

"It's clear from Portman's record as U.S. Trade Representative where he
stands---and it's not with Ohio's farmers; it's not with Ohio's small towns;
and it's not with Ohio's middle class families," Joe Logan said. "Portman's
dismal trade legacy underscores just how critical smart trade policies are
to creating jobs and strengthening the economic future of our communities.
There is nothing more necessary for Ohio than to have a fair-trade advocate
in the U.S. Senate." 

 

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