PolitiFact.com
Statements about Trade
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

Mostly False

Tariff breaks, not earmarks, though both raise pay-to-play concerns

U.S. Rep. Allen West wants to bring back earmarks.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Half-True

Depends on when you start clock

"We've brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration."

Lisa Tomasso

Lisa Tomasso

True

The scrap metal state?

"Rhode Island’s exports have increased by 53 percent in the last two years."

Josh Mandel

Josh Mandel

Pants on Fire!

Bold? Yes. Accurate? No.

"Make no mistake -- Sherrod Brown is one of the main D.C. politicians responsible for Ohio jobs moving to China."

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

True

Fewer workers, more efficient

"Today, for the first time in fifteen years, Master Lock’s unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity."

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

False

That omits deals with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama

Says President Barack Obama has opened up no new trade relationships with other nations.

Ron Wyden

Ron Wyden

Mostly True

Prices are expected to drop over the next decade

Says Oregon canned blueberries will be cheaper in South Korea thanks to a trade agreement.

George Allen

George Allen

False

Flat out wrong

"Our federal government has lent $2 billion to the state-owned oil company of Brazil to allow them to explore for oil and gas."  

Sherrod Brown

Sherrod Brown

Half-True

Slip of the tongue doesn't destroy underlying point

"We buy 35 percent of all Chinese exports."

Marcy Kaptur

Marcy Kaptur

Mostly True

Her numbers are a little off, but the disparity is real

"Last year, Korea sold nearly half a million cars in our country. ... The United States, you know how much we sell to them? Six thousand. What kind of deal is that?"

Rob Portman

Rob Portman

Half-True

Stats are right, but EU growth was up months before

"In the month of July alone, EU exports to South Korea increased by over 36 percent. A lot of that is our market share. Those are our farmers and our service providers who are suffering."

SEIU

SEIU

Half-True

They opposed anything that looked like a tax increase

"Republicans fought to protect tax loopholes for corporations that send our jobs overseas."

Rob Portman

Rob Portman

Half-True

Slip of the tongue doesn't destroy underlying point

"We rank below Ethiopia, I'm told, in terms of our exports per capita, well below any of the other developed countries we trade with, and well below China and (South) Korea."

James Bennett

James Bennett

False

Geography lesson anyone?

Providence's port is "200 miles closer to Europe than any other Eastern port."

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Mostly True

Yes, but categories not clear cut

"You see a whole bunch of Korean cars here in the United States, and you don't see any American cars in Korea."

Rick Scott

Rick Scott

True

The governor speaks Canadian

"Almost 10 percent of Canadians came to visit Florida last year ... (Canadians) buy 7.4 percent of our homes in the state."

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

False

Doubling is a goal -- the U.S. is only a third of the way there

Under President Barack Obama, the United States has "doubled our exports."

Terry McAuliffe

Terry McAuliffe

True

Made in China, held in China

"China now owns $1.1 trillion of our debt, our trade deficit last year with them was a quarter of a trillion dollars."

Rick Scott

Rick Scott

Mostly True

A man a plan Panama!

"According to 2009 estimates, an agreement with Panama could result in almost 1,900 Florida jobs in the first year – and about 15,000 jobs after five years."

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Half-True

Do you factor in oil exports or not?

"For the first time in more than a decade, imports accounted for less than half of (the oil) we consumed."

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