CINCINNATI – President Barack Obama lodged an unfair-trade complaint against China on Monday and immediately used it as a wedge against Republican challenger Mitt Romney, whose beleaguered campaign is trying to regroup after a shaky few weeks.

Obama told voters in Ohio, where the auto industry is important, of his administration’s new push for the World Trade Organization to sanction China for subsidizing exports of vehicles and auto parts – and costing American jobs.

Romney responded quickly and dismissively. Obama “may think that announcing new trade cases less than two months from Election Day will distract from his record, but the American businesses and workers struggling on an uneven playing field know better,” the Republican said.