China to Penalize European Brandy Imports, Striking Back at Car Tariffs
KEITH BRADSHER, JENNY GROSS去年，中国海口一个贸易博览会上的白兰地。受中国新处罚措施影响的白兰地几乎全部来自法国。Meng Zhongde/VCG, via Getty ImagesRaising the stakes in a trade dispute with the European Union, the Chinese government said on Tuesday it would impose temporary penalties on brandy from Europe and was mulling broader tariffs on European goods.中国政府周二表示，将对来自欧洲的白兰地实施临时处罚，并正在考虑对欧洲商品征收更广泛的关税，这加大了中国与欧盟贸易争端的风险。China’s Ministry of Commerce issued the brandy measures after member countries of the European Union voted last Friday to proceed with anti-subsidy tariffs on electric cars from China. The ministry said that brandy importers would temporarily be required to post deposits of up to 39 percent on the wholesale value of shipments to China.在欧盟成员国上周五投票决定继续对中国电动汽车征收反补贴关税后，中国商务部发布了针对白兰地的措施。商务部表示，白兰地进口商将被暂时要求按出口到中国的批发价缴纳最高39%的保证金。The deposits would then be forfeited and become tariffs if China eventually makes the measures permanent. The ministry accused European brandy producers of hurting Chinese producers by dumping brandy at unfairly low prices in the Chinese market.如果中国最终将这些措施永久化，这些保证金将被没收，变成关税。商务部指责欧洲白兰地生产商以不公平的低价向中国市场倾销白兰地，损害了中国生产商的利益。The action produced an immediate slump in the stocks of big European brandy makers like LVMH, the corporate parent of Moët Hennessy, whose shares fell nearly 4 percent.此举立即导致欧洲大型白兰地制造商的股价暴跌，比如酩悦轩尼诗的母公司路威酩轩集团股价下跌了近4%。The European Commission said in a statement on Tuesday that it would challenge China’s measures on imports of European brandy at the World Trade Organization, which forbids trade retaliation without obtaining the group’s permission. China’s Ministry of Commerce avoided linking its action on brandy to the European Union’s move on electric cars.欧盟委员会周二在声明中表示，将向世界贸易组织质疑中国对欧洲白兰地进口的措施。世界贸易组织禁止在未经该组织许可的情况下进行贸易报复。中国商务部避免将针对白兰地的行动与欧盟对电动汽车的行动联系起来。“The E.U. takes with utmost seriousness any unfair use of trade defense instruments against any sector of our economy,” the statement said. “Abuse of trade defense for inappropriate reasons is a clear breach of W.T.O. rules.” The commission also said that it would look for ways to support European producers affected by China’s penalties.“欧盟极其严肃地对待任何针对我们经济任何部门的不公平使用贸易防御工具的行为，”声明说。“以不恰当的理由滥用贸易保护显然违反了世贸组织的规则。”欧盟委员会还表示，将想方设法支持受中国处罚影响的欧洲生产商。European officials have dismissed the dumping accusation as unfounded, pointing out that brandy is often much more expensive in China than in Europe. Spirits Europe, a European trade association, strongly criticized the Chinese action on Tuesday as a “significant additional financial burden,” while calling for negotiations between Brussels and Beijing.欧洲官员称，中国的倾销指控毫无根据，并指出中国的白兰地价格往往比欧洲贵得多。欧洲贸易协会“烈酒欧洲”强烈批评中国周二的行动是“重大的额外财政负担”，同时呼吁布鲁塞尔和北京之间进行谈判。China’s Ministry of Commerce also said that it was mulling whether to impose tariffs on European pork and dairy products, as well as gasoline-powered cars with large engines. Such taxes could hurt big pork exporters like Spain and the Netherlands, as well as Ireland, a leading dairy exporter. The car tariffs could hit Germany, which was outvoted last Friday when it opposed the European Union’s electric car tariffs.中国商务部还表示，正在考虑是否对欧洲猪肉和奶制品以及大排量燃油车征收关税。此类征税可能会损害西班牙和荷兰等猪肉出口大国，以及主要乳制品出口国爱尔兰。汽车关税可能会打击德国。上周五，德国投票反对欧盟的电动汽车关税，但被多数同意票击败。France had led the push over the past year for the electric car tariffs, and almost all the brandy imports penalized by China on Tuesday come from France. The Chinese ministry announced its brandy action within hours of reopening after a weeklong national holiday. It also chose deposit percentages that nearly matched the tariff percentages that the European Union plans to impose on Chinese electric cars.法国在过去一年里带头推动了电动汽车关税，周二受中国关税惩罚的白兰地几乎全部来自法国。在为期一周的国庆假期结束后，中国商务部在上班后数小时内宣布了针对白兰地的行动。它还选择了几乎与欧盟计划对中国电动汽车征收的关税比例相匹配的保证金比例。Trade tensions have been building rapidly between Europe and China this year. European nations have objected to China’s tilt toward Russia during the war in Ukraine and have expressed concern about their wide trade deficits with China.今年以来，欧洲和中国之间的贸易紧张局势迅速升级。欧洲国家反对中国在乌克兰战争期间倾向俄罗斯，并对与中国的巨大贸易逆差表示担忧。Five E.U. countries, including Germany and Hungary, voted against the electric vehicle tariffs, with some expressing concern that the tariffs would lead to retaliatory actions.包括德国和匈牙利在内的五个欧盟国家投票反对电动汽车关税，其中一些国家表示担心关税会导致报复行动。“If we’re going to have protective taxes on imports, then we have to look at what the consequences of that will be,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, speaking at a news conference at the European Parliament on Tuesday.“如果我们要对进口征收保护性关税，那么我们必须考虑这样做的后果，”匈牙利总理欧尔班·维克托周二在欧洲议会的新闻发布会上说。A senior European diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, expected China to have a limited appetite to launch an all-out trade war with Europe. But under pressure to take some action, China’s move to target specific sectors, like brandy, seemed like the most obvious path forward, the diplomat said.一位欧洲高级外交官预计，中国对与欧洲发动全面贸易战的兴趣有限。由于问题的敏感性，这位外交官要求匿名。但这位外交官表示，面对必须做出反应的压力，中国针对白兰地等特定行业的举措似乎是最明显的方向。European and Chinese officials have said they are continuing to work on an agreement that would address European officials’ concerns about what they say are unfair advantages enjoyed by automakers in China.欧洲和中国官员表示，他们正在继续努力达成一项协议，以解决欧洲官员对他们所称的汽车制造商在中国享有不公平优势的担忧。China’s Ministry of Commerce said separately on Tuesday that it had asked the W.T.O. to review Turkey’s recent imposition of 40 percent tariffs on electric cars from China. Turkey has begun moving to exempt electric vehicle imports by companies that set up factories in the country — something that BYD, China’s largest maker of electric cars, has pledged to do.
