Ohio’s senators praise Trump for trade statement on China

Ohio’s senators Monday praised President Donald Trump for asking his trade office to look into whether China has stolen U.S. technology and intellectual property

During a brief return to Washington in the midst of his two-week vacation in New Jersey — he has had to vacate the White House because it is undergoing renovations — Trump said he will consider additional measures aimed at targeting China on trade.

“This is just the beginning,” Trump said as he signed an executive order at the White House that would order the U.S. Trade Representative to “examine China’s policies, practices and actions with regard to the forced transfers of American technology and the theft of American intellectual property.

The prospect of China stealing U.S. intellectual property has been a concern for years. A 2017 report by the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property found that the annual cost of such theft to the U.S. economy is worth more than $225 billion in counterfeit goods, pirated software and theft of trade secrets and could be as much as $600 billion. The independent bipartisan commission is comprised of those in public and the private sector.

Trump signs the memo even as he seeks China’s help in stopping North Korea from developing nuclear weapons.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, applauded the move, saying the effort would help protect U.S. jobs.

“When the rules of the road are followed, U.S. businesses and workers can compete with anyone in the world,” said Portman, a former U.S. Trade Representative in the George W. Bush administration.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, also praised the decision. Brown, the author of “Myths of Free Trade,” has been a critic of trade deals that he believes have disadvantaged U.S. workers.

“I’m hopeful this investigation is a sign the Administration will continue to take action against other Chinese violations – especially China’s steel overcapacity which is putting Ohio steelworkers out of work,” said Brown. “ I look forward to working with President Trump and his Administration to reset our trade relationship with China so it works better for American workers and manufacturers.”

During a White House ceremony attended by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Trump said that the decision will empower Lighthizer to “consider all available options at your disposal.”

“We will stand up to any country that unlawfully forces American companies to transfer their valuable technology as a condition of market access,” Trump said. “We will combat the counterfeiting and piracy that destroys American jobs, we will enforce the rules of fair and reciprocal trade that form the foundation of responsible commerce, and we will protect forgotten Americans who have been left behind by a global trade system that has failed to look — and I mean look — out for their interests. They have not been looking out at all.”

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