The Trump administration’s proposed sale of 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks to Taiwan not only serves a national security purpose — it is also a major boost to the Ohio manufacturing sector.
The Abrams is produced and serviced at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio, a city that has seen highs and lows based on the whims of the Pentagon and overwhelmingly voted in 2016 for President Trump, who promised during the campaign to bring back manufacturing jobs. Republican Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, a longtime advocate for the plant, praised the Taiwan news.
“Sales of military equipment to our allies both enhance our security and support good-paying American manufacturing jobs. This sale is an important signal of our support for Taiwan and it’s good news for Ohio and our workers at the JSMC,” Portman said in a statement. “Keeping the Abrams production line thriving will help JSMC continue to meet the needs of our troops both at home and around the globe. I applaud the State Department’s approval of this sale to Taiwan.”
The tanks are part of a massive $2.2 billion military sale to Taiwan, which also includes surface-to-air Stinger missiles, machine guns, and other military equipment. The tanks will be a major upgrade to Taiwan’s aging armored force, some of which dates back to the earliest days of the Cold War.
“The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.
China condemned the sale and called on the United States not to go through with, claiming it would “harm China’s sovereignty and security interests.” China has long claimed Taiwan as its own territory under the “One China” policy.
The Army considered shuttering the plant from 2013 to 2016 in order to save $1 billion, telling Congress it no longer needed new tanks. The plan met with resistance from several members of Congress, including Portman. They warned that shutting the production line would not only put national security at risk but would cost a fortune to restart in the future.
The Lima plant employs more than 600 people and is expected to add to that number. Trump won Allen County, in which Lima is located, with 66% of the vote in 2016 after promising to rebuild U.S. manufacturing and increase foreign military sales.
“Well, you better love me; I kept this place open, that I can tell you,” Trump said during a visit to Lima in May. “They said, ‘We’re closing it.’ And I said, ‘No, we’re not.’ And now you’re doing record business. The job you do is incredible. And I’m thrilled to be here in Ohio with the hardworking men and women of Lima.”
Portman said he hopes to see the administration continue “to find new partners and continue existing partnerships that support Ohio jobs.” Lima and greater Ohio could prove to be a major political battleground for Trump in 2020, as Democrats look to take back blue-collar areas won by the president in 2016.
