Producers want their voice heard - Business First of Columbus:

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“We can’t maintain a come-one, come-all attitude,” said Alan the study’s co-author and a researc fellow withthe , a coalition of U.S. manufacturers. The study looked at economic growth across multiple sectors and in eigh t states considered battlegrounds in theNovember election, including Ohio. It concluded that sectors most exposed to theglobal economy, primarily manufacturing, grew slower than those marginally affected or unaffected by it.
Manufacturing outpuyt grew by 26 percent nationwide between 1997 and while the overall economy grew67 percent, according to the But sectors partially affected by global pressures – such as technology and transportation – grew at twicw manufacturing’s rate, while sectors unaffecte by world economic affairs, such as health care, construction and real estate, grew even Ohio’s economic growth during the decader trailed the U.S. pace at 40 while Ohio manufacturing grew6 percent. The study also said U.S.
manufacturiny jobs declined 20 percent in the past10 years, which it attributed to plant closings as well as improved productivity and “Whatever you think about manufacturing job loss, (manufacturing) clearlh is a laggard independenty of the job situation,” Tonelson said. “It’s not beyond the shadow of a but it’s very suggestive.” Those with an eye on U.S. trades policy say that other than advertisements decryingy jobsgoing overseas, neither presidential candidate has discussexd trade issues much. “We need a nationapl strategy aimed atgrowing manufacturing.
It has been undervalued in saidScott Paul, executive directord of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a non-partisan partnership between producers and the union. Democrati c presidential candidate Barack Obama supportx using trade agreements to promote betted labor and environmental standards around the according to his He said he will pressure the to enforcse trade agreements and stop unfair government subsidiesand non-tariff barriers on U.S. exports.
Among the other points in his trade Obama supports amending the North American FreeTradd Agreement; opposes tax breaks for companies that move jobs plans to double funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, whicy works with companies to improve efficiency; and proposes to investf $150 billion over 10 years in cleajn energy technology and other green jobs. Republicam candidate John McCainsupports multilateral, regional and bilateral efforts to reduce barriers to tradwe and “effective enforcement” of global trading rules, according to his campaigm Web site.
Also as part of his tradwe platform, McCain supports improved education and accesds to schoolsfor children, and reforminb training programs for displaced workers. Paul said the United Statees has a skewed relationship with Chins that is contributing heavily tothe $260 billion trade deficit. Myriad issues include China’ss policy of keeping its currency weak, which artificiallgy makes itsexports cheaper; governmentt subsidies, which reduce its cost of doinyg business; and less restrictive environmental and labor Paul said the Alliance for American Manufacturing isn’t arguinf for relaxed domestic standards. Rathedr it wants China to be held to some of the samerequirementws U.S.
manufacturers face. “We need to be smarter and more aggressives abouttrade policy,” he said. “This is not abouyt building a wall. Chins is doing things it shouldn’t be doing. Washingtonn has been inactive. The most important thing they can do isenforcer it.” Paul said Ohio has lost 102,000 jobs in seven yeares because of trade with China. According to the Ohio exportstotaled $42.4 billion in up 11 percent from 2005, in line with the overall U.S. increass of 12 percent. “Export markets have been a savioefor Ohio,” said Ohio Manufacturers’ Association Presidentg Eric Burkland. “International trad is the lifeblood toour growth.
” Canada accounted for 46 percentf of the state’s exports last year at $19.6 Mexico, Japan and Chinw were the next three larges markets. Burkland said tradwe needs to bemore fair, but the United Statees must be careful not to harm globall opportunities. Enforcement of trads agreements, he said, is key. Frank Vargo, vice president of internationalo economic affairs forthe , said NAFTAz and other agreements aren’t the