I'm betting it's due to the salt.
You might not even need to replace the piece if you have a rotary tool with a metal brush. You can shave off the rust then spray paint it in the same session to protect it in the future.
Honestly the clip is just a guard so unless it rusts all the way through I don't expect it to become an issue. It just might be bothersome if you don't like the look :P
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