The next president of the United States should make key investments in workforce training, prioritize American jobs and take a firmer stance with China. We need a leader who will work to eliminate our surging trade deficit with China and put strong penalties in place for currency manipulation, cyber spying, intellectual property theft and trade cheating.

The status quo of giving China a free ride needs to end. The 2016 voters are concerned about factory jobs and have deep concerns with further economic engagement with China. Global steelmaking overcapacity is on the rise as China ramps up production, even while its own economy and internal consumption slows. Rather than cutting back production, China is exporting its excess steel production to the U.S. market at below-market prices, harming U.S. producers and American workers. I’m hoping we’ll soon have an obvious candidate who won’t hold back the U.S. when it comes to good-paying manufacturing jobs.

 

Josh Leonard

Shakopee