中國(guó)鋁出口激增 美國(guó)工會(huì)請(qǐng)?jiān)敢筇岣哧P(guān)稅

HONG KONG — An American labor union plans topush the United States to impose broad, steeptariffs on aluminum imports using a little-used butwide-ranging trade law that has riled the country’strading partners in the past.

香港——一個(gè)美國(guó)勞工工會(huì)計(jì)劃援引某條鮮少使用，但管制范圍十分廣泛的貿(mào)易法規(guī)，以促使美國(guó)政府對(duì)進(jìn)口鋁全面開(kāi)征高額關(guān)稅。這條法規(guī)在過(guò)去曾令美國(guó)的貿(mào)易伙伴十分惱怒。

The effort by the United Steelworkers union comeswith trade increasingly an election-year issue in theUnited States and elsewhere. More than three-quarters of the United States aluminumsmelting industry that existed five years ago will have been idled or shut down permanentlyby this summer as imports have surged, according to the union’s legal petition.

伴隨著美國(guó)鋼鐵工人聯(lián)合會(huì)(United Steelworkers union)的這種做法，貿(mào)易已日益成為了美國(guó)和世界其他地區(qū)的選舉年話(huà)題。根據(jù)該工會(huì)提交的法律請(qǐng)?jiān)笗?shū)所述，因?yàn)殇X進(jìn)口量激增的緣故，五年前還在美國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)的煉鋁相關(guān)產(chǎn)業(yè)中，有超過(guò)四分之三將在今年夏季或之前遭到閑置或永久關(guān)閉。

The union blames China’s rising exports, though if successful its effort would also affectAmerican imports from Canada and many other countries.

雖然該工會(huì)指控的是中國(guó)有增無(wú)減的鋁出口量，要是他們的請(qǐng)?jiān)赋晒Φ脑?huà)，也會(huì)影響到加拿大與其他許多國(guó)家對(duì)美國(guó)的鋁出口。

The union and its law firm said that they plan on Monday to file the petition, which covers rawaluminum imports, with an American trade panel. The petition invokes Section 201 of the1974 Trade Act. The section was last invoked by President George W. Bush in 2001 to start alegal process that led to American tariffs on steel imports the following year.

該工會(huì)與其委任律師事務(wù)所表示，他們計(jì)劃在周一向美國(guó)一個(gè)貿(mào)易審查委員會(huì)遞交這份涵蓋了進(jìn)口鋁等事宜的請(qǐng)?jiān)笗?shū)。該請(qǐng)?jiān)笗?shū)援引的是1974年的《美國(guó)貿(mào)易法》(1974 Trade Act)的第201條。這項(xiàng)條款上回被引用是在2001年、美國(guó)總統(tǒng)喬治?W?布什(George W. Bush)為了在翌年對(duì)進(jìn)口鋼鐵加收關(guān)稅，而要推動(dòng)法律程序的時(shí)候。

A Section 201 case covers essentially all imports of a product from all over the world. Thatmakes it more controversial than anti-subsidy and anti-dumping cases against imports froma single country. The European Union objected to President Bush’s use of Section 201, whichresulted in American tariffs on a wide range of steel products, until the administrationdropped them in late 2003.

基本上，201條款的管制范圍可涵蓋某產(chǎn)品自世界各地的所有進(jìn)口，使得該條款比針對(duì)單一國(guó)家進(jìn)口產(chǎn)品的反補(bǔ)貼或反傾銷(xiāo)案更具爭(zhēng)議。歐盟就曾反對(duì)布什總統(tǒng)引用201條款;此舉使美國(guó)得以對(duì)大量鋼鐵產(chǎn)品課稅，直到美國(guó)政府在2003年底取消這些關(guān)稅為止。

But Section 201 cases are also harder to win. They require proof that a domestic industry hasbeen “seriously injured” by imports, a harder test than the mere proof of “injury” from importsthat is required for other trade cases.

不過(guò)，援引201條款的貿(mào)易案也更難過(guò)關(guān)。請(qǐng)?jiān)阜奖仨氉C明某國(guó)內(nèi)產(chǎn)業(yè)持續(xù)遭到同類(lèi)型進(jìn)口產(chǎn)品的“嚴(yán)重傷害”，此一標(biāo)準(zhǔn)比僅需證明產(chǎn)業(yè)受到進(jìn)口產(chǎn)品“傷害”的其他案件來(lái)得更為嚴(yán)苛。

Terence P. Stewart, the managing partner of the law firm Stewart and Stewart and the leadlawyer on the aluminum case, contended that raw aluminum could meet the test. “Thedomestic industry is disappearing before our eyes,” he said. ”Quick relief and addressing theunderlying imbalance between global supply and demand are essential if we are going tohave any industry left.”

斯圖爾特與斯圖爾特律師事務(wù)所(Stewart and Stewart)的執(zhí)行合伙人泰倫斯?斯圖爾特(Terence P.Stewart)是該請(qǐng)?jiān)赴傅闹饕蓭?，他聲稱(chēng)鋁進(jìn)口能夠符合該條款所要求的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。“本土的煉鋁業(yè)正在大家眼前消失，”斯圖爾特表示。“如果我們還想讓任何煉鋁業(yè)者存活下去，盡快解除進(jìn)口壓力、著手處理背后的全球供需失衡問(wèn)題是當(dāng)務(wù)之急。”

The union also argues that aluminum is important to national defense because it is widelyused in military equipment.

該工會(huì)也辯稱(chēng)，煉鋁業(yè)對(duì)國(guó)防至關(guān)重要，因?yàn)殇X金屬是軍事裝備廣泛使用的原材料。

Section 201 cases are reviewed by the United States International Trade Commission, abipartisan, quasi-judicial group of trade experts in Washington. The commission then makes arecommendation to the president within two to six months, who makes the final decision onwhether to impose tariffs. The law allows government officials, industries or unions to fileclaims.

第201條款案由華盛頓特區(qū)的美國(guó)國(guó)際貿(mào)易委員會(huì)(United States International Trade Commission)負(fù)責(zé)審理，這是由貿(mào)易專(zhuān)家組成、不分黨派的準(zhǔn)司法團(tuán)體。該委員會(huì)會(huì)在受理案件后二到六個(gè)月內(nèi)對(duì)美國(guó)總統(tǒng)提出建言，總統(tǒng)再就是否加征關(guān)稅做最后決定。依照美國(guó)法律規(guī)定，政府官員、產(chǎn)業(yè)代表或工會(huì)都能對(duì)該委員會(huì)提出申請(qǐng)。

Presidents have almost always followed the commission’s advice, although President Carterturned down a recommendation for tariffs on stainless steel flatware in 1978 and PresidentGeorge H.W. Bush rejected a recommendation for tariffs on extruded rubber threads in1992. The Office of the United States Trade Representative declined to comment on theunion’s contentions.

歷任美國(guó)總統(tǒng)幾乎都會(huì)聽(tīng)從美國(guó)國(guó)際貿(mào)易委員會(huì)的建言，不過(guò)卡特總統(tǒng)曾在1978年拒絕了該委員會(huì)對(duì)不銹鋼餐具加征關(guān)稅的建議;喬治?H?W?布什總統(tǒng)(President George H.W. Bush)則在1992年拒絕了對(duì)橡膠線(xiàn)加征關(guān)稅的建議。美國(guó)貿(mào)易代表辦公室(The Office of the United States Trade Representative)拒絕對(duì)該工會(huì)的主張發(fā)表評(píng)論。

China, which already produces more than half the world’s aluminum, is expanding capacityeven as its economy decelerates. The result has been a surge in exports and falling prices foraluminum.

中國(guó)已出產(chǎn)全球一半以上的鋁材;雖然該國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)正在放緩，目前仍在繼續(xù)擴(kuò)張鋁工業(yè)的產(chǎn)能。此舉的后果就是鋁出口量大幅上升、價(jià)格下滑。

Chinese exports of aluminum jumped more than 27 percent in the past two years, Chinesecustoms figures show.

中國(guó)海關(guān)的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，中國(guó)的鋁材出口量在過(guò)去兩年間激增了27%。

A spokesman for the government-affiliated China Aluminum Association, who gave his familyname as Zeng, said aluminum’s increasing use in high-speed railway equipment, aerospaceand electronics justified China’s expanding production capacity and rising exports.

政府附屬機(jī)構(gòu)中國(guó)鋁業(yè)協(xié)會(huì)的曾姓發(fā)言人表示，高鐵裝備、航空及電子領(lǐng)域的鋁材使用量日益增加，是中國(guó)產(chǎn)能擴(kuò)大、出口激增的原因所在。

Smelters in Canada and elsewhere, having been displaced in their traditional internationalmarkets, have stepped up shipments of raw aluminum to the United States. American importsof raw aluminum from Canada, the biggest supplier, jumped 10 percent by tonnage last year,United States customs data shows.

加拿大等地的冶煉廠(chǎng)在其傳統(tǒng)的國(guó)際市場(chǎng)中已經(jīng)被取而代之，于是加緊向美國(guó)出口原鋁。美國(guó)海關(guān)的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，去年，美國(guó)從原鋁最大供應(yīng)方加拿大處進(jìn)口的原鋁噸數(shù)增長(zhǎng)了10%。

Other factors are influencing the aluminum trade. Alcoa, the main aluminum smeltingcompany in the United States, has announced the closing of a series of smelting operations inthe United States while relying more on production in Canada, Iceland and Saudi Arabia, aspart of what it describes as an effort to improve overall efficiency. In a statement it said, “Alcoa has a long history of cooperation with the U.S. government. We haven’t seen thepetition and look forward to reviewing it.”

其他一些因素也在影響鋁材貿(mào)易。美國(guó)最主要的煉鋁企業(yè)美鋁公司(Alcoa)已經(jīng)宣布關(guān)閉美國(guó)境內(nèi)的一系列冶煉廠(chǎng)，同時(shí)更加倚重加拿大、冰島和沙特阿拉伯的產(chǎn)出，并稱(chēng)這是竭力提高總體效率之舉。該公司在一份聲明中表示，“美鋁公司與美國(guó)政府長(zhǎng)期保持合作。我們尚未看到那份請(qǐng)?jiān)笗?shū)，希望有機(jī)會(huì)仔細(xì)研究它。”

Exports to the United States are an important source of employment in China, and Chineseofficials have been increasingly concerned about Donald J. Trump’s populist appeals for atougher trade policy, including a steep tariff on goods from China. Finance minister Lou Jiweiof China told The Wall Street Journal during a visit to Washington in the past week thatimposing such a tariff would violate World Trade Organization rules.

在中國(guó)，產(chǎn)品銷(xiāo)往美國(guó)的出口企業(yè)是就業(yè)崗位的重要來(lái)源之一，該國(guó)官員對(duì)唐納德·J·特朗普(Donald J.Trump)的民粹主義訴求——包括大幅度提高中國(guó)商品的進(jìn)口關(guān)稅——憂(yōu)懼日增。中國(guó)財(cái)政部長(zhǎng)樓繼偉曾在上周到訪(fǎng)華盛頓期間告訴《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》(The Wall Street Journal)，這樣大幅提高關(guān)稅是違反世界貿(mào)易組織(WTO)規(guī)則的。