Ohio politicians watching trade issues at G20 - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

It's the premiere event where international leaders get together to talk about issues facing the economy, and 13abc is the only local station covering the G20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. The meeting might be thousands of miles away, but the impact is very close to home.

Lawmakers in Washington stress that what will happen at the G20 will affect our daily lives. One of the biggest issues world leaders want to discuss is trade.

"We practice trade in this country according to some economic textbook that's 20 years out of date, instead of practicing our national interests," says Senator Sherrod Brown. "That means standing up for American interests."

The right crisis could threaten the entire global economy. It's one of the worries keeping economists and world leaders up at night.

Lawmakers point out that the challenge for the United States is how to stimulate growth at home.

"GM transmission plant, Jeep plant, it's about Johnson Controls in northwest Ohio. It's about companies in the tier 2 and 3 and 4 that sell components into the auto industry," says Sen. Brown.

The G20 Summit was created in response to financial problems in emerging economies in the 1990s. Talks became more intense in 2008, during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Senator Brown says everyone should all be paying attention.

"Regardless of what you do in northwest Ohio, you're connected to these trade issues," he says. "Whether you are in manufacturing, you're a local hardware store, or a teacher, it all affects the tax base and economic growth. "

The G20 Summit will take place Monday and Tuesday.