VOA慢速英語：美國調查其同東南亞國家的貿易失衡
- 中英
- 英文
US Investigates Trade Imbalances with Southeast Asian Countries
美國調查其同東南亞國家的貿易失衡
The United States Commerce Department has begun a 90-day study of trade imbalances between the U.S. and some Asian nations.
美國商務部已經開始對美國同亞洲一些國家和地區(qū)之間的貿易失衡進行為期90天的調查。
Experts say the review could produce a major change in Asia's trading relationship with the United States.
專家表示，這次審查可能會讓亞洲同美國的貿易關系發(fā)生重大變化。
The review follows President Donald Trump's call for action against "foreign importers that cheat."
這次審查是在川普總統(tǒng)針呼吁對“作弊的外國進口商”采取行動之后。
Among the Asian economies Trump criticized are China, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, India, Taiwan(China), Indonesia and Vietnam.
川普批評的亞洲經濟體包括中國內地、日本、泰國、韓國、馬來西亞、印度、中國臺灣地區(qū)、印尼以及越南。
Trump has said that he will make an "historic reversal" in U.S. trade policy after the review.
川普表示，他將在審查后對美國貿易政策做出“歷史性扭轉”。
Currency manipulation?
貨幣操縱
A possible U.S. trade policy change is making many government officials in Southeast Asia worried.
美國貿易政策可能發(fā)生改變使得東南亞很多政府官員擔憂。
After World War II, many developing economies in East and Southeast Asia exported their products to the United States.
二戰(zhàn)之后，東亞和東南亞的很多發(fā)展中經濟體將它們的產品出口到了美國。
The relationship helped end poverty for millions of people.
這種關系幫助了數百萬人消除貧困。
But during the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump charged that some trade policies, especially those of China, had harmed the American economy.
但是川普在2016年總統(tǒng)大選期間指出，一些貿易政策，尤其是中國的貿易政策損害了美國經濟。
He accused some countries of unfairly keeping the value of their currency low compared to the value of the U.S. dollar. This makes their exported products less costly than similar products made in the United States.
他指責一些國家不公平地維持其貨幣價值相對于美元價值的低位，從而使得他們的出口產品比美國制造的同等產品成本更低。
Krystal Tan is an economist at Capital Economics in Singapore. She said two countries that are most worried about being named currency manipulators are South Korea and Taiwan(China).
克里斯托·陳(Krystal Tan)是凱投宏觀(Capital Economics)駐新加坡經濟學家。她說，最擔心被列為貨幣操縱者的兩個國家(地區(qū))是韓國和中國臺灣地區(qū)。
Countries that are officially identified as currency manipulators can face economic punishments such as fines or import taxes.
被正式定義為貨幣操作者的國家(地區(qū))可能會面臨罰款或進口稅等經濟懲罰。
Tan says if countries want to avoid economic restrictions, they will need to open their markets to more American products.
陳女士表示，如果各國想避免經濟限制，它們就必須向更多美國產品開放市場。
Taiwan, China
中國臺灣地區(qū)
Officials in Taiwan(China) say the trading relationship with the U.S. is not a hostile one. They note that more than 80 percent of the exports Taiwan(China) sends are not completed products. Instead, they are put together in the United States.
中國臺灣地區(qū)官員表示，該地區(qū)與美國的貿易關系不是敵對的。他們指出，該地區(qū)80%以上的出口都不是成品。相反，它們都在美國組裝完成。
David Hsu is the deputy director general of the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) in Taiwan(China). He told reporters that the trading relationship with the U.S. is "mutually beneficial."
中國臺灣地區(qū)對外貿易局副局長徐大衛(wèi)對記者表示，該地區(qū)同美國的貿易關系是互惠互利的。
Malaysia
馬來西亞
Government and business officials in Malaysia are also worried about the U.S. trade review. In late 2016, an increase in exports increased economic growth in Malaysia to 4.5 percent.
馬來西亞政府和商界官員也擔心美國的貿易審查。2016年末，出口增長讓馬來西亞經濟增長提高到了4.5%。
Ong Ka Chuan is the Malaysian minister of international trade and industry. Ong told reporters that Malaysia was not responsible for the large U.S. trade deficit.
馬來西亞國際貿易和工業(yè)部部長黃家泉(Ong Ka Chuan)對記者表示，馬來西亞對美國的大量貿易赤字沒有責任。
Ong said, Malaysia was dealing with the U.S. fairly.
黃部長表示，馬來西亞同美國公平貿易。
Ong added that any restrictions that may result from a review could harm American manufacturers in Malaysia, such as Intel and Western Digital.
黃部長補充說，審查可能導致的任何(經濟)限制都可能會影響到馬來西亞的美國制造商，像英特爾和西部數據公司。
"If Trump were to punish us...the American firms will be (the) ones (that are) dealt a severe blow," he said.
他說，“如果川普要懲罰我們，這些美國公司將會受到沉重打擊。”
Thailand and Vietnam
泰國和越南
The U.S. is Thailand's third-largest trading partner after China and Japan.
美國是泰國僅次于中國和日本的第三大貿易伙伴。
Trade between the U.S. and Thailand was $36.5 billion in 2016. More than $24 billion was from Thai exports. Among the top exports to the U.S. were machinery, electrical appliances, electronics and parts, rubber products and gems and jewelry.
2016年，美國和泰國之間的貿易額達365億美元，其中超過240億美元來自于泰國出口。泰國向美國的主要出口產品包括機械、電器、電子產品和零件、橡膠制品、珠寶首飾。
Vietnam also has a trade surplus with the U.S. – in other words, it sells far more goods to the U.S. than it buys.
越南也同美國存在貿易順差。換句話說，越南向美國出口的商品超過了進口的商品。
Last week, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc criticized Trump's decision. He said it would have a "huge impact" on Vietnam's economy, which depends on exports.
上周，越南總理阮春福批評了川普的決定。他說，這會對依賴出口的越南經濟造成很大影響。
Trans Pacific Partnership
跨太平洋伙伴關系協(xié)定
President Trump has already changed U.S. trade policy. Soon after he took office in January, Trump withdrew from the Trans Pacific Partnership – or, TPP – agreement.
川普總統(tǒng)已經改變了美國貿易政策。川普在一月份上任后不久就退出了跨太平洋伙伴關系協(xié)定。
The agreement was an important part of former U.S. president Barack Obama's "pivot to Asia" policy. It was designed to limit China's growing political and economic influence in the area.
該協(xié)定是美國前總統(tǒng)奧巴馬“重返亞太”政策的重要組成部分。它旨在限制中國在該地區(qū)日益增長的政治和經濟影響力。。
Carl Thayer, a political scientist at the University of New South Wales, explains one of the effects of Trump withdrawing from the TPP. He says North Vietnam now wants to increase trade with China under the Chinese Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
新南威爾士大學政治學家卡爾·泰勒(Carl Thayer)解釋了川普退出跨太平洋伙伴關系協(xié)定的影響之一。他說，北部的越南現(xiàn)在希望在中國區(qū)域經濟合作伙伴關系下提升與中國的貿易。
"Vietnam had its heart and soul on the TPP," Thayer said. "They have a massive surplus with the U.S. It almost equals their massive deficit with China. But there's not very much they can do. They're being pragmatic and looking at the RCEP."
泰勒表示：“越南對跨太平洋伙伴關系協(xié)定投注了全部心血。該國同美國存在巨額貿易順差，幾乎等同于它們同中國的巨額貿易逆差。但是他們幾乎無能為力。他們開始務實地轉向了中國區(qū)域經濟合作伙伴關系。”
Thayer said Vietnam hoped for a strong American presence in Asia to balance China's influence, especially in the South China Sea. Now, he said, Vietnam will have to balance its relationships more equally among the U.S. and India, Russia, Japan and China.
泰勒表示，越南希望美國在亞洲有著強大的存在，以平衡中國的影響力，特別是在中國南海。他說，現(xiàn)在越南將不得不讓他們同美國、印度、俄羅斯、日本以及中國的關系更加平衡。
And, Thayer added, without strong U.S. action in the region, Vietnam will have to work harder to balance Chinese influence.
泰勒還表示，沒有美國在該地區(qū)的強硬行動，越南將不得不更加努力地平衡中國的影響力。
He says relations between the U.S. and Vietnam, which have been built up over the past 20 years, may be hurt because of a possible change in trade policy.
他說過去20多年建立好的美越關系可能會因為貿易政策的變化而受到損害。
I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.
凱利·吉恩·凱利報道。
The United States Commerce Department has begun a 90-day study of trade imbalances between the U.S. and some Asian nations.
Experts say the review could produce a major change in Asia’s trading relationship with the United States.
The review follows President Donald Trump’s call for action against “foreign importers that cheat.”
Among the Asian economies Trump criticized are China, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, India, Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Trump has said that he will make an “historic reversal” in U.S. trade policy after the review.
Currency manipulation?
A possible U.S. trade policy change is making many government officials in Southeast Asia worried.
After World War II, many developing economies in East and Southeast Asia exported their products to the United States.
The relationship helped end poverty for millions of people.
But during th e 2016 presidential campaign, Trump charged that some trade policies, especially those of China, had harmed the American economy.
He accused some countries of unfairly keeping the value of their currency low compared to the value of the U.S. dollar. This makes their exported products less costly than similar products made in the United States.
Krystal Tan is an economist at Capital Economics in Singapore. She said two countries that are most worried about being named currency manipulators are South Korea and Taiwan.
Countries that are officially identified as currency manipulators can face economic punishments such as fines or import taxes.
Tan says if countries want to avoid economic restrictions, they will need to open their markets to more American products.
Taiwan
Officials in Taiwan say the trading relationship with the U.S. is not a hostile one. They note that more than 80 percent of the exports Taiwan sends are not completed products. Instead, they are put together in the United States.
David Hsu is the deputy director general of the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) in Taiwan. He told reporters that the trading relationship with the U.S. is “mutually beneficial.”
Malaysia
Government and business officials in Malaysia are also worried about the U.S. trade review. In late 2016, an increase in exports increased economic growth in Malaysia to 4.5 percent.
Ong Ka Chuan is the Malaysian minister of international trade and industry. Ong told reporters that Malaysia was not responsible for the large U.S. trade deficit.
Ong said, Malaysia was dealing with the U.S. fairly.
Ong added that any restrictions that may result from a review could harm American manufacturers in Malaysia, such as Intel and Western Digital.
“If Trump were to punish us…the American firms will be (the) ones (that are) dealt a severe blow,” he said.
Thailand and Vietnam
The U.S. is Thailand’s third-largest trading partner after China and Japan.
Trade between the U.S. and Thailand was $36.5 billion in 2016. More than $24 billion was from Thai exports. Among the top exports to the U.S. were machinery, electrical appliances, electronics and parts, rubber products and gems and jewelry.
Vietnam also has a trade surplus with the U.S. – in other words, it sells far more goods to the U.S. than it buys.
Last week, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc criticized Trump’s decision. He said it would have a “huge impact” on Vietnam’s economy, which depends on exports.
Trans Pacific Partnership
President Trump has already changed U.S. trade policy. Soon after he took office in January, Trump withdrew from the Trans Pacific Partnership – or, TPP – agreement.
The agreement was an important part of former U.S. president Barack Obama’s “pivot to Asia” policy. It was designed to limit China’s growing political and economic influence in the area.
Carl Thayer, a political scientist at the University of New South Wales, explains one of the effects of Trump withdrawing from the TPP. He says North Vietnam now wants to increase trade with China under the Chinese Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
“Vietnam had its heart and soul on the TPP," Thayer said. "They have a massive surplus with the U.S. It almost equals their massive deficit with China. But there’s not very much they can do. They’re being pragmatic and looking at the RCEP."
Thayer said Vietnam hoped for a strong American presence in Asia to balance China’s influence, especially in the South China Sea. Now, he said, Vietnam will have to balance its relationships more equally among the U.S. and India, Russia, Japan and China.
And, Thayer added, without strong U.S. action in the region, Vietnam will have to work harder to balance Chinese influence.
He says relations between the U.S. and Vietnam, which have been built up over the past 20 years, may be hurt because of a possible change in trade policy.
I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.
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Words in This Story
imbalance – n. a state or condition in which different things do not occur in equal or proper amounts
reversal – n. a change to an opposite state, condition, decision, etc.
manipulator – n. a person who uses or controls other people in a clever and often unfair or selfish way : a manipulative person
beneficial – adj. producing good or helpful results or effects
blow – n. a sudden event that causes trouble, damage, sorrow, etc
appliances – n. a machine (such as a stove, microwave, or dishwasher) that is powered by electricity and that is used in people's houses to perform a particular job
impact – n. a powerful or major influence or effect
pivot – n. the action of turning around a point : the action of pivoting
massive – adj. large in amount or degree
pragmatic – adj. dealing with the problems that exist in a specific situation in a reasonable and logical way instead of depending on ideas and theories
