Vice President Mike Pence talking trade while visiting Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY — U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is in Salt Lake City on Thursday, expected to talk about trade.  Pence arrived at Salt Lake International Airport Wednesday evening.

Pence is scheduled to speak at Merit Medical in South Jordan on Thursday morning, after spending the night at the Grand America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City.  While at the airport on Wednesday, he spoke to a crowd gathered to see him arrive, flanked by Utah Governor Gary Herbert, touting Utah as a major player in U.S. trade abroad.

“I’m here in Utah because this state knows how to create jobs, and knows how to create opportunities.  I wanted to be here to make sure the people of Utah, and their elected representatives know just how important the United States/Mexico/Canada agreement is for Utah and for America,” the VP telling the crowd Wednesday evening.

Some roads were closed for a time following those words, as the motorcade proceeded down the West Belt 215 South from Salt Lake Airport, causing some late rush hour delays.  Traffic officials are warning drivers to keep a heads up for sudden, brief road closures on Thursday as Mr. Pence travels to South Jordan for a visit to Merit Medical, a local disposable medical device manufacturer with a facility in Mexico.

Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Mitt Romney will be attending Thursday’s event in South Jordan before heading to Logan for a town hall event at Utah State University.