Ohio Sen. Rob Portman invoked Trump’s ubiquitous Twitter feed in signaling his approval for the Republican presidential candidate’s get-tough-on-China trade policy. The former U.S. Trade Representative has taken a defensive stance on trade, including opposition to the TPP, as he tries to retain his seat in a state not too fond of free-trade agreements.
[Adam Behsudi| July 7, 2016 | Politico]
“I agree on being tougher on China, and actually when I was leading the fight against currency manipulation he was tweeting saying Portman’s right,” the lawmaker told POLITICO.
In addition to saying he would put in place a 45 percent tariff on Chinese imports, Trump laid out a trade plan last week that would involve major actions under U.S. trade law, more WTO cases and labeling Beijing a currency manipulator.
