Portman to Discuss ‘Aluminum Overcapacity’ During Visit to Pennex

LEETONIA, Ohio – U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-OH, will visit Pennex Aluminum Co. in Leetonia Friday afternoon to tour the plant and meet with employees and company leadership.

The employee town hall, where Portman will discuss the Enforce and Leveling the Playing Field acts, is part of his work to address “aluminum overcapacity.” The amount and quality of aluminum imported from countries like China, he says, is hurting American businesses and workers. Last month, former U.S. trade representative Michael Froman initiated a World Trade Organization case against China, at Sen. Sherrod Brown and  Portman’s urging, to address the global surplus of aluminum production.

Earlier this week, Portman visited Sapa Extrusions in Sidney, Ohio, for a similar town hall.

“I came to see local employees in action, to witness the manufacturing process firsthand. It’s encouraging to see that level of expertise here in Sidney and elsewhere across Ohio,” the Sidney Daily News reports Portman as saying there. “[Aluminum overcapacity] is hurting local industry and others across the United States. We are working hard to remedy the situation.”

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.