美国总统特朗普当地时间3月22日签署总统备忘录,依据“301调查”结果,将对从中国进口的商品大规模征收关税,并限制中国企业对美投资并购。
特朗普在白宫签字前对媒体说,涉及征税的中国商品规模可达600亿美元。
Despite strong warnings from business groups and trade experts, U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a memorandum that could impose tariffs on up to 60 billion U.S. dollars of imports from China, the latest unilateral move that poses a threat to global trade.
美国总统特朗普罔顾来自商界团体和贸易专家的强烈警告,于3月22日签署总统备忘录,对从中国进口的商品大规模征收关税,涉及征税的中国商品规模可达600亿美元。这是美方最新单方面采取的威胁全球贸易的行动。
memorandum:备忘录
tariff:关税
unilateral :单方面的
But a senior White House official told reporters earlier in the day that the number would be close to 50 billion dollars.
当天早些时候,白宫官员在吹风会上说,涉及征税的中国商品价值大约500亿美元。
根据特朗普宣布的措施:
Trump has directed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to publish a list of proposed Chinese goods that could be subject to tariffs in 15 days, while the U.S. Treasury Department will have 60 days to propose restrictions on Chinese investment in the United States, according to the presidential memorandum.
根据总统备忘录,特朗普指派美国贸易代表莱特希泽在15天内宣布将被提高关税的产品清单,而美国财政部则将在60天内制定新的投资限制条款,用于限制中国投资购买美国公司技术。
特朗普在签署备忘录时说:
“This is the first of many” trade actions.
这只是开始,接下来还有很多(贸易行动)。
他表示:
“It’s going to make us a much stronger, much richer nation.”
这会使我们的国家更加强大、更加富有。
特朗普此次签署的总统备忘录依据的是所谓“301调查”结果:
The memorandum is based on a so-called Section 301 investigation into alleged Chinese intellectual property and technology transfer practices, launched by the Trump administration in August 2017.
该总统备忘录依据的是所谓的“301调查”结果,该调查是特朗普政府于2017年8月发起的,主要针对中国技术转让、知识产权和创新有关的法律政策或做法。
所谓“301调查”源自美国《1974年贸易法》第301条。
该条款授权美国贸易代表可对他国的“不合理或不公正贸易做法”发起调查,并可在调查结束后建议美国总统实施单边制裁,包括撤销贸易优惠、征收报复性关税等。
这一调查由美国自身发起、调查、裁决、执行,具有强烈的单边主义色彩。
特朗普发起的这场贸易战,在美国国内也遭到多方反对。
In a letter to Trump on Sunday, 45 U.S. trade associations, representing retail, technology, agriculture and other consumer-product industries, urged the administration not to move forward its tariff plan on Chinese imports, as it would hurt U.S. consumers and companies.
代表零售、科技、农业和其他消费品行业的45个美国商业协会在18日联名写信给特朗普,敦促政府停止对中国进口商品大规模征收关税的计划,因为此举将损害美国消费者和各大公司的利益。
A group of 25 major U.S. retail companies, including Walmart, Costco and Best Buy, also warned on Monday that any additional broad-based tariff would worsen U.S. inequity and “punish American working families” with higher prices on household basics like clothing, shoes and electronics.
19日,包括沃尔玛、科思科、百思买等25家美国零售业巨头也警告说,大规模征收额外关税会加剧美国的社会不平等,服装、鞋子、家电等日用品价格的上升无疑是“对美国工薪家庭的惩罚”。
中国商务部回应
“必将采取所有必要措施,坚决捍卫自身合法权益”
针对美国301调查决定,商务部新闻发言人表示,美方此举不利于中方利益,不利于美方利益,不利于全球利益,开了一个非常恶劣的先例。
任何情况下,中方都不会坐视自身合法权益受到损害,我们已做好充分准备,坚决捍卫自身合法利益。
China will absolutely not sit back watching its rights and interests be damaged. China will take all necessary measures to resolutely protect its legitimate rights and interests.
3月23日,商务部发布了针对美国进口钢铁和铝产品232措施的中止减让产品清单并征求公众意见,拟对自美进口部分产品加征关税,以平衡因美国对进口钢铁和铝产品加征关税给中方利益造成的损失(China plans tariffs on some US imports to offset loss on steel and aluminum products)。
该清单暂定包含7类、128个税项产品,按2017年统计,涉及美对华约30亿美元出口。
According to the ministry, these proposed tariffs involve 128 products China imports from the United States, with a value of $3 billion.
清单共分两部分,第一部分共计120个税项,涉及美对华9.77亿美元出口,包括鲜水果、干果及坚果制品、葡萄酒、改性乙醇、花旗参、无缝钢管等产品,拟加征15%的关税。第二部分共计8个税项,涉及美对华19.92亿美元出口,包括猪肉及制品、回收铝等产品,拟加征25%的关税。
Among the figure, 120 products worth a total of $977 million and including fresh fruits, nuts, wine and seamless steel pipes, they would be hit with a 15 percent tariff increase, while a possible 25 percent tariff would be imposed on eight other products with a worth of $1.992 billion, including pork, pork products and recycled aluminium.
商务部发言人表示,美国以“国家安全”为由限制产品进口的做法,严重破坏以世贸组织为代表的多边贸易体系,严重干扰正常的国际贸易秩序,已遭到多个世贸组织成员的反对。中方也通过多层次、多渠道与美方进行了交涉,将在世贸组织框架下采取法律行动,与其他世贸组织成员共同维护多边贸易规则的稳定和权威。
商务部发言人强调,中美作为世界前两大经济体,合作是两国唯一正确的选择,希望双方从中美大局出发,相向而行,聚焦合作,管控分歧,共同促进中美经贸关系健康稳定发展。
中方敦促美方尽快解决中方的关切,通过对话协商解决双方的分歧,避免对中美合作大局造成损害。
中国驻美大使馆回应
“如果美方执意要打,中方将奉陪到底。”
3月23日,中国驻美大使馆就所谓的“301调查”结果发布声明,称这是典型的单边贸易保护主义做法,中方对此强烈不满、坚决反对。
声明表示,美方此举将“搬起石头砸自己的脚”(The actions undertaken by the U.S. are self-defeating. ),如果美方执意要打,中方将奉陪到底。
中方不希望打贸易战,但绝不惧怕贸易战,有信心、有能力应对任何挑战。如果美方执意要打,我们将奉陪到底,并采取所有必要措施坚决捍卫自身合法权益。
China does not want a trade war with anyone. But China is not afraid of and will not recoil from a trade war. China is confident and capable of facing any challenge. If a trade war were initiated by the U.S., China would fight to the end to defend its own legitimate interests with all necessary measures.
针对美国这一举动,中国驻美大使崔天凯表示:
We will do whatever we can to defend the legitimate interests.
我们会竭尽全力保护自身的合法利益。
We will certainly fight back. We will retaliate.If people want to play tough, we will play tough with them and see who will last longer.
我们一定会反击的,会进行报复的。如果有人想来硬的,我们一定会奉陪,看谁能坚持得更久。
retaliate [r ‘t l ‘et]:回敬,报复
外交部回应
“我们一不会怕,二不会躲。”
此前,外交部发言人华春莹曾多次对中美贸易战做出回应。
3月21日,华春莹在例行记者会上表示,“但如果有人非逼迫我们打,我们一不会怕,二不会躲。”
中方不想跟任何人打贸易战,但如果有人非逼迫我们打,我们一不会怕,二不会躲。
We want no trade war with anyone, but if our hands are forced, we will not quail nor recoil from it.
quail:胆怯,感到害怕
recoil:畏缩
3月22日,华春莹在例行记者会上对中国“经济侵略”给出回应:
我也看到报道提及中国“经济侵略”这个词,我们完全不能认同也不能接受所谓“经济侵略”这样的说法,因为“侵略”这个词无论从任何方面来讲都绝不会扣到中国头上。
We have also noted some reports accusing China of “economic aggression”, a term we can never agree with or accept, because China could not be labeled as aggressive at all in any way.
美股市暴跌
资本市场出现恐慌
在特朗普宣布对华贸易限制措施之后,资本市场出现恐慌,美国股市暴跌。
美国三大股指均出现大幅下跌,道琼斯指数下跌700多点:
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged more than 700 points today amid Wall Street fears of a potential trade war with China sparked by punishing tariffs announced by President Donald Trump.
华尔街担心特朗普宣布的惩罚性关税可能会激起中美贸易战,当天道琼斯工业平均指数下跌700多点。
It was the fifth-largest point decline in history and the market’s worst day since the extreme turmoil of early February.
这是道琼斯指数历史上第五大跌幅,也是继二月初股市极端震荡以来市场表现最差的一天。
其它主要股指也全部大跌:
The S&P 500 fell 68 points to 2,643, while the Nasdaq plunged 178 to 7,168.
标普500指数收跌68点,报2643点;纳斯达克综合指数收跌178点,报7168点。
市场担心特朗普此举将直接触发中美两国的贸易战,并进一步影响全球经济。
CNNMoney’s Fear &Greed Index, a measure of market sentiment, dropped further into“extreme fear”.
市场情绪指标CNN Money的“恐惧与贪婪指数 ”已下跌为“极度恐惧”。
Investors, economists and policymakers are worried about a China-US trade war that could embroil the global economy.
投资者、经济学者、政策制定者担心中美贸易战可能使全球经济陷入混乱。
embroil:使卷入;使混乱
此外,CNN Money文章分析称,特朗普此举对美国消费者无益:
Americans buy lots of Chinese-made goods. Prices will likely go up for shoppers.
美国人购买大量中国制造的商品,对于消费者来说,这些商品恐怕将涨价了。
So there’s a lot at stake, from Wall Street to your local Walmart.
所以现在,从华尔街到你家当地的沃尔玛,方方面面都处于危机之中。
文章援引韦德布什证券公司股票主管(head of equities at Wedbush Securities)Ian Winer的观点称,中国如果回击,会吓坏美国人的。
There’s this huge uncertainty now. If China decides to get tough on agriculture or anything else,that will really spook people.
目前存在巨大的不确定性,如果中国决定在农业或其他方面采取强硬姿态,将会真的会吓到美国人。
(来源:中国日报)