Industry Groups Seek to Intensify Candidates’ Debate on Trade

WASHINGTON — Manufacturing and labor groups sought to raise the level of the trade debate in the presidential campaign on Tuesday, urging the candidates to focus on imbalances with China and highlighting trade-related job losses in Pennsylvania.

Citing a net decline of 207,300 manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania since 2001, the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition, a textile industry lobby group, released a report on the state's manufacturing sector Tuesday. The coalition and labor officials urged lawmakers seeking reelection and presidential candidates to provide more details on how they would reshape the Bush administration's trade policies.