Tariffs displease most Ohioans in Congress

WASHINGTON — Ohio’s congressional delegation generally expressed misgivings about President Donald Trump’s decision Thursday to impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum from Canada, Mexico and the European Union — except the two guys running for Senate.

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, said the order “could be a disaster if not overturned soon” and Trump “is more concerned about letting China off the hook than protecting American workers.”

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said Trump should have exempted Canada and Mexico because they both are trying to negotiate a revised North American Free Trade Agreement.

“I favor continuing negotiations with the EU over steel, but understand the need to bring these discussions to conclusion to provide certainty for American steelworkers and businesses,” Portman said.

Ohio farmers and industries would suffer if Canada, the EU and Mexico retaliate with higher tariffs as threatened. According to the state, last year Ohio exported $18.9 billion worth of goods to Canada, $6.5 billion to Mexico and more than $5 billion to EU members Great Britain, Germany, France and The Netherlands.

But Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said he has “supported steel tariffs from the beginning, because China’s cheating has cost too many Ohio steelworkers their jobs. ... I’m open to carving out allies who are not part of the problem, but steel overcapacity is a global problem that needs a global response.”

Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Wadsworth, who is challenging Brown in the Senate race, said Trump is “a savvy negotiator and as I have said all along, he casts a wide net and then reels it in. This situation is still developing but I am confident President Trump will continue to work to strike a deal that is fair to both our trading partners and most importantly, American workers.”