President Donald Trump plans to visit an auto parts supplier in Michigan Thursday, a day after he is scheduled to sign a new North American trade agreement.
The White House announced Tuesday that the president will tour a Dana Incorporated facility in Warren and deliver some brief remarks, but has not revealed if the event will be open to the public. The visit will come a day after he accomplishes the campaign promise of replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
The updated agreement, called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), was sent to the president’s desk last week after passing out of Congress with bipartisan support. According to the Associated Press, Mexico has already ratified the agreement, but Canada still needs to take action.
Dana Inc. is an Ohio-based company that has facilities throughout Michigan. Its factory in Warren employs more than 800 workers and occupies 800,000 square-feet.
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership on trade and the economy, Michigan is thriving and we are once again the automotive capital of the world,” Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Laura Cox said in a statement. “Renewed trade agreements like the USMCA and Phase One Trade Deal with China bust open the door for our producers to compete and win globally, and lends a hand to the revitalization of the industries vital to our state’s success. We look forward to welcoming the president back to Michigan to celebrate what these monumental trade deals mean for our state.”
The Michigan Democratic Party, however, said the president’s “erratic trade war” is to blame for the loss of 5,300 manufacturing jobs in the state.
“He won’t tell voters, but Donald Trump broke his promises to thousands of Michigan workers who have lost their jobs because of his erratic trade war,” said spokesman Christian Slater. “Trump will try to duck, dodge, and spin his way around that fact but working families know him and his harmful policies are to blame.”
The Democratic National Committee recently announced a “multi-million dollar” investment in six key battleground states, including Michigan. President Trump won Michigan in 2016 over Hillary Clinton by less than a percentage point.
The Thursday visit will mark his first trip to the state this year.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “DANA Incorporated” by DANA Incorporated
