The Trump administration plans to use new targeted tariffs to apply “maximum pressure” on China to stop it stealing the intellectual property of American business, according to the top US trade official.
美国高级贸易官员表示，特朗普政府计划利用针对性的新关税措施来对中国施加“最大压力”，迫使其停止窃取美国企业的知识产权。
With the White House expected to unveil proposed curbs on Chinese business as soon as today, Robert Lighthizer, US trade representative, also offered an olive branch to the EU and other allies, indicating they would not face immediate US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports while they were negotiating possible exemptions.
白宫预计最早将在今天公布对中国企业施加限制的计划，美国贸易代表罗伯特?莱特希泽(Robert Lighthizer)还向欧盟和其他盟友伸出了橄榄枝，表示在其谈判可能的关税豁免之际，不会马上面临美国钢铁和铝进口关税。
Washington is keen to enlist Europe, Japan and other trading partners in its fight against alleged Chinese trade abuses.
华盛顿方面希望在打击中国据称存在的贸易滥用行为时，争取欧洲、日本和其他贸易伙伴的支持。
According to people familiar with its deliberations, the White House is expected to announce a plan to apply new tariffs on imports from China worth at least $30bn as soon as today, although US officials said the proposals remained in flux. The plan is also likely to involve a process for consultations with US business that may delay their implementation.
据知情人士表示，白宫预计最早将在今天宣布计划，对价值至少300亿美元的中国输美商品征收新关税，尽管美国官员表示，相关提议仍在调整中。该计划还可能涉及与美国企业进行磋商的过程，可能使其推迟落实。
The Trump administration is also likely to flag up new restrictions on Chinese investment in the US and tighter visa requirements for Chinese nationals, although the details have yet to be decided.
特朗普政府也可能对中国在美投资提出新限制，并收紧对中国公民的签证要求，尽管细节还没有决定。
Mr Lighthizer told members of Congress that the administration expected to hit certain Chinese technology products in sectors where Beijing has forced US companies to transfer intellectual property in order to do business in China. It also wants to target sectors in which the Chinese government is subsidising overseas acquisitions by its companies of strategic technologies.
莱特希泽告诉国会议员，特朗普政府预计将打击某些中国科技产品，涉及北京方面迫使美国企业以转让知识产权换取在中国做生意的行业。它还希望打击中国政府补贴其战略技术企业进行海外收购的行业。
“We think that it is perhaps the most important thing that will have been done in a long time in terms of rebalancing trade with China,” he said, pointing to the US’s $375bn trade deficit with Beijing.
“我们认为，这也许是在很久以来在再平衡对华贸易方面所做的最重要的事，”他表示，他指出，美国对华贸易逆差高达3750亿美元。
But he said Washington was mindful of the potential impact on US households. His staff had used an algorithm to formulate penalties that would“put maximum pressure on China and minimum pressure on American consumers”. The prospect of tariffs on imports from China has drawn widespread criticism from the US business community and others worried about the prospect of Chinese retaliation leading to a trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
但他表示，华盛顿意识到了这可能对美国家庭造成的潜在影响。他的部下使用了一个算法来制定处罚方案，以实现“对中国施加最大压力，给美国消费者带来最小压力”。对中国输美商品征收关税的前景，已经招致了美国商界以及其他人的广泛批评，后者担心中国可能报复，导致世界两个最大经济体之间爆发贸易战。
“Nobody wins from a trade war. We certainly don’t want a trade war,” Mr Lighthizer said.
“贸易战没有赢家。我方肯定不希望发生贸易战，”莱特希泽表示。
But he added: “We have to do something?.?.?.?The reality is that if you are on a course that is unsustainable you have to do something to change.”
但他补充称：“我们不得不有所作为……现实是，如果你正处于一条不可持续的道路上，你不得不做出一些改变。”
Business groups remain sceptical of the Trump administration’s plans, though many acknowledge that it is trying to tackle legitimate concerns.
商业团体仍然对特朗普政府的计划持怀疑态度，尽管很多人承认白宫是在尝试解决正当的关切。
“It’s unclear right now what the strategy is for using tariffs in this case,” said Erin Ennis, senior vice-president for the US-China Business Council.
“目前还不清楚在这件事上启用关税措施的战略是什么，”美中贸易全国委员会(US-China Business Council)高级副会长埃林?恩尼斯(Erin Ennis)表示。
“Companies want to see the problems that are identified in the case addressed?.?.?.?It’s just not clear how tariffs get you to fix that problem.”
“企业希望看到已被识别的问题得到应对……只是不清楚关税措施怎么帮你解决这个问题。”
Republicans in Congress are also deeply sceptical about the merits of tariffs.
共和党议员也对关税措施的利弊深表怀疑。
Opening yesterday’s hearing with Mr Lighthizer, Kevin Brady, Republican chairman of the Houseways and means committee, said he was concerned that US trade policy was at a dangerouscrossroads.
在莱特希泽听证会的开场白中，众议院筹款委员会主席、共和党议员凯文?布莱迪(Kevin Brady)表示，他担心美国贸易政策正处于一个危险的十字路口。
The administration needed to choose between isolationism and global leadership, he added.
他补充称，特朗普政府需要在孤立主义和全球领导角色之间做出选择。
Mr Brady said China’s oversupply of steel and aluminium had “put many Americans out of work” and “its blatant theft of our companies’ technology and intellectual property can’t betolerated”. But he warned against “indiscriminate tariffs”.
布莱迪表示，中国过剩钢铁和铝供应“造成很多美国人失业”而且“其悍然窃取我国企业的技术和知识产权是不可容忍的”。但他对“不加区分的关税政策”提出了警告。
“We must not punish American families and workers for China’s misbehaviour,” he said.
他表示，“我们绝不能因为中国的不当行为而惩罚美国家庭和工人。”
