Obama announces another trade complaint against China
Updated: 9:58 a.m. ET
(CBS News) On the heels of Mitt Romney's recently-renewed attacks on President Obama for his stance on China, CBS News has confirmed that the president will announce a new trade complaint against the nation while campaigning in Ohio on Monday.
Mr. Obama will file the case with the World Trade Organization in Geneva, targeting China for alleged illegal subsidies of auto parts made for exports, which the administration argues undercuts American suppliers and encourages outsourcing.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which first reported the story, the administration will also request that the WTO will "begin a review that the United States hopes will end with an order for China to stop levying duties on autos and SUVs exported to China," reflecting a similar complaint the Obama administration filed in July. That complaint accused China of imposing illegal duties on over $3 billion worth of cars and sport utility vehicles, including Toledo-made Jeep Wranglers.
Questions about how the Obama administration is handling Chinese trade policies have become heavily politicized in recent months, as the Romney campaign continues to target Mr. Obama as unwilling or unable to stand up to China.
Mr. Obama, meanwhile, has twice announced the plans for his trade complaints in the crucial battleground state of Ohio, which is one of the nation's top five states in auto and auto parts manufacturing employment, according to a U.S. Trade Representative fact sheet. On Monday, Mr. Obama makes appearances at campaign rallies in Cincinnati and Columbus. In July, he unveiled the complaint in Toledo.
Despite his critiques that Mr. Obama has not taken a hard enough line with China, Romney on Monday attacked the president's latest action as "too little, to late.""President Obama has spent 43 months failing to confront China's unfair trade practices. Campaign-season trade cases may sound good on the stump, but it is too little, too late for American businesses and middle-class families," said Romney in a statement. "President Obama's credibility on this issue has long since vanished. I will not wait until the last months of my presidency to stand up to China, or do so only when votes are at stake. From Day One, I will pursue a comprehensive strategy to confront China's unfair trade practices and ensure a level playing field where our businesses can compete and win."
