Romney’s Tough China Talk May Fall Flat as South Carolina Trades

While Mitt Romney is a long way from the White House, he already knows what he would do on his first day in the Oval Office: crack down on Chinese “cheating” on trade.

Romney vows to designate China a “currency manipulator” and impose duties on its imports if the yuan isn’t allowed to float freely. As Republicans prepare for tomorrow’s presidential primary in South Carolina, that pledge may cheer companies such as steelmaker Nucor Corp., which has a plant in Darlington and is among those blaming Chinese subsidies for eroding profits.