WTO要求美國收回對波音的減稅優(yōu)惠

The US has been ordered to withdraw illegal state tax breaks for Boeing within three months, giving rival Airbus the latest victory in a 12-year battle over government support for the world’s two biggest aircraft makers.

美國已被要求在三個月內收回對波音(Boeing)的非法政府減稅優(yōu)惠。這令波音的對手空中客車(Airbus)在圍繞全球兩大飛機制造商的政府支持的12年斗爭中取得最新勝利。

The World Trade Organisation has found that a tax break granted by the state of Washington to Boeing in 2013 to ensure the US company produced its newest long-range jet there amounted to a prohibited subsidy.

世界貿易組織(WTO)認定，美國華盛頓州2013年對波音實施的一項旨在確保這家美國公司在該州制造最新遠程客機的減稅優(yōu)惠，構成一種被禁止的補貼。

This is only the fifth time in the WTO’s history that it has defined a subsidy as “prohibited”.

這只是WTO有史以來第五次將一種補貼定性為“被禁止的”。

“It is a red line you are not permitted to cross,” said Brendan McGivern, partner with White & Case, the law firm, in Geneva. “This is one of the few really clear no-go areas in WTO rules.”

偉凱律師事務所(White & Case)駐日內瓦合伙人布倫丹•麥吉弗倫(Brendan McGivern)表示：“這是一條禁止逾越的紅線。在WTO的規(guī)則中，這是少數真正明確不許進入的領域之一。”

The ruling comes as the pace of the long battle between Airbus and Boeing accelerates and the election of Donald Trump as the next US president raises questions over potential for a trade war.

WTO做出這一裁決之際，空客和波音之間長期斗爭的節(jié)奏有所加快，而唐納德•特朗普(Donald Trump)當選下一任美國總統(tǒng)引發(fā)了可能爆發(fā)貿易戰(zhàn)的問題。

Two months ago the WTO found the EU had failed to unwind billions of dollars in unlawful subsidies to Airbus. The ruling could allow the US to impose tariffs on European goods. But the EU is appealing against the findings. Next year the WTO will also rule on the EU’s claim that the US has equally failed to withdraw billions in illegal support.

兩個月前，WTO曾認定歐盟(EU)未能撤回向空客提供的數十億美元非法補貼。該裁決令美國可以對歐洲商品征收關稅。但歐盟正對這一裁決提起上訴。明年WTO還會就歐盟有關美國同樣未能撤回數十億非法支持的主張做出裁決。

The row between the US and EU on behalf of their flagship aerospace companies has long been one of the most contentious battles in the global trade system and has cost both sides millions of dollars. The dispute reached a head in 2010 and 2011 when the WTO found that both companies had collected billions in unlawful assistance.

在全球貿易體系中，美國和歐盟為各自旗艦航空航天企業(yè)展開的爭端，長期以來一直是最激烈的爭端之一，雙方均已花費了數百萬美元。這場爭端曾在2010年和2011年白熱化，當時WTO認定兩家企業(yè)都獲得了巨額非法援助。

The EU, which brought the case against Washington’s support in 2014, hailed the latest decision as a big victory. “The panel has found that the additional massive subsidies of $5.7bn provided by Washington state to Boeing are strictly illegal,” said Cecilia Malmström, EU trade commissioner. “We expect the US to respect the rules, uphold fair competition, and withdraw these subsidies without any delay.”

這次針對美國華盛頓州政府支持的案子，是由歐盟在2014年提起的。歐盟方面歡呼WTO的最新裁決是一大勝利。歐盟貿易專員塞西莉亞•馬姆斯特羅姆(Cecilia Malmström)表示：“專家小組認定華盛頓州向波音提供的57億美元大規(guī)模額外補貼完全違法。我們預計美國會尊重規(guī)則、維護公平競爭、立即撤銷這些補貼。”

The EU’s claim covers subsidies that would have applied between 2024 and 2040 and which Airbus argues would have covered virtually the entire cost of developing Boeing’s 777X twin aisle aircraft, due to enter service in 2020.

歐盟的申訴涵蓋了原本會在2024年到2040年期間到位的補貼?？湛吐暦Q，這些補貼原本將覆蓋開發(fā)波音777X雙通道客機的幾乎全部成本。這種新款飛機定于2020年投入使用。

But Boeing, dismissed the EU’s sums as “laughable”, saying the ruling affected only $50m of support. The WTO had rejected six of the EU’s seven challenges to tax incentives. “In rejecting virtually every claim made by the EU in this case, the WTO found today that Boeing has not received a penny of impermissible subsidies,” said J. Michael Luttig, Boeing’s general counsel. The US, meanwhile, has claimed that Airbus has received up to $22bn in unlawful support over several decades.

不過，波音對歐盟的計算不以為然，稱其“可笑”。該公司表示，這一裁決只會影響5000萬美元的政府支持。在歐盟有關稅收激勵措施的七項挑戰(zhàn)中，WTO駁回了六項。波音總法律顧問J•邁克爾•呂蒂希(J. Michael Luttig)表示：“通過駁回歐盟在此案中提出的幾乎全部主張，WTO今日認定波音并未收到一分錢不允許的補貼。”與此同時，美國聲稱空客在幾十年時間里獲得了最高220億美元的非法支持。

Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia said the WTO rulings were not expected to hit either company financially.

蒂爾集團(Teal Group)分析師理查德•阿布拉菲亞(Richard Aboulafia)表示，WTO的裁決預計不會對兩家企業(yè)中的任何一家造成財務上的打擊。