中美貿易戰正酣 馬來西亞太陽能業悄然崛起

KULIM, Malaysia — Tucked away in this former tin-mining town, past the small farms of banana trees and oil palms, is one of the solar industry’s best-kept secrets.

馬來西亞居林——越過小型香蕉園和油棕園，這座有過錫礦開採歷史的城鎮，隱藏着太陽能行業被保守得最好的祕密之一。

The six factories here with cavernous rooms up to one-third of a mile long constitute the production backbone of First Solar. Working alongside minivan-size robots adapted from car assembly plants and other industries, 3,700 employees produce five-sixths of the American company’s solar panels. Workers in Ohio make the rest.

這裏的六家工廠構成了第一太陽能公司(First Solar)的生產主力。這些工廠的廠房如洞穴般空曠，長可達三分之一英里（約合540米）。這家美國公司有六分之五的太陽能電池組件，是由這裏的3700名員工，連同小貨車大小的機器人生產的。這些機器人是參照汽車組裝廠和其他一些行業的做法改造而成的。另外六分之一產品，則是由俄亥俄州的工人生產的。

The list of manufacturers is long. Panasonic of Japan has a solar panel factory a mile down the road. SunEdison makes wafers 60 miles away in Chemor. Hanwha Q Cells and SunPower have giant factories even farther south, while Solexel, a Silicon Valley start-up, is preparing to build an $810 million solar panel factory in stages.

這裏還有其他很多製造商。日本松下電器(Panasonic)的一座太陽能組件廠位於這條路上一英里開外的地方，SunEdison的晶片工廠位於60英里（約97公里）外的朱毛，韓華Q Cells和SunPower巨大的工廠位於更南邊的地方，而硅谷創業公司Solexel正準備分階段地修建一座投資8.1億美元（約合50億元人民幣）的太陽能組件工廠。

Malaysia, a Southeast Asian nation with just 30 million people, is the biggest winner in the trade wars that have embroiled the solar sector. As Chinese companies have been hit with American tariffs and European quotas, Malaysia has increasingly attracted multinationals with its relatively low labor costs, lucrative tax breaks, warm relations with the West and abundance of English-speaking engineering talent.

在令太陽能產業陷入混亂的這場貿易戰中，僅有3000萬人口的東南亞國家馬來西亞，成了最大的贏家。隨着中國公司遭到美國關稅和歐洲配額制的打擊，馬來西亞憑藉其相對低廉的勞動力成本、划算的減稅政策、與西方的友好關係，以及大量會說英語的工程人才，吸引了越來越多的跨國公司。

Malaysia is now the world’s third-largest producer of solar equipment, trailing China by a wide margin but catching up rapidly with the European Union. And Malaysia’s role in the global solar trade is only likely to increase in the coming months if the American government broadens tariffs on panels made in China next Tuesday as expected.

馬來西亞現在是世界第三大太陽能設備生產國。雖然與中國的差距還很大，但它正在迅速追趕歐盟。同時，如果美國政府如預料的那樣，在下週二針對中國製造的太陽能組件，擴大關稅徵收範圍，馬來西亞在全球太陽能貿易中的份額，在未來幾個月裏肯定會進一步擴大。

“We liked Malaysia because it was a cross between just a straight low-cost play and a high-engineering play — it was sort of in the middle, where it was lower-cost but good engineering,” said Tom Werner, the chief executive of the California-based SunPower, which manufactures half its solar panels in Malacca, Malaysia.

“我們喜歡馬來西亞，因爲它在低成本的優勢和高工程水平的優勢之間，是一個交叉點。它在一定程度上處於中間位置，成本較低，工程水平也不錯，”總部位於加利福尼亞州的SunPower公司首席執行官湯姆·維爾納(Tom Werner)說。該公司一半的太陽能組件是在馬來西亞的馬六甲製造的。

The solar manufacturing boom in Malaysia has been almost invisible, a rarity in an industry known for heavily promoting even the smallest factory opening or new solar panel farm as progress toward cleaner energy.

馬來西亞太陽能設備製造的繁榮幾乎不爲人知。這一點頗爲罕見，因爲在這個慣於大力宣傳的行業，即便是開設了一家非常小的工廠，或是新建了一座太陽能電廠，都會被描繪成邁向清潔能源的進步。

Manufacturers don’t want to draw attention to moving production offshore. The factories here are almost entirely owned by American, European, South Korean and Japanese companies that much prefer to talk about operations in their home countries.

製造企業不希望外界注意到它們把生產轉移到了海外。這裏的工廠幾乎完全由美國、歐洲、韓國和日本的公司所有，但這些企業更喜歡談論它們在本國的業務。

Hanwha Q Cells, for example, produces 1,100 megawatts a year worth of panels in Malaysia and just 200 megawatts in its home market in Germany. But the company highlights that the engineering work is still done at its headquarters in Thalheim, Germany.

例如，韓華Q Cells每年在馬來西亞生產1100兆瓦的太陽能板，在德國本國的產量僅爲200兆瓦。但這家公司強調，工程設計工作仍然由位於德國塔爾海姆的總部來完成。

Production in Malaysia “gives us the flexibility to reliably address very different and dynamic international market needs with high-quality products ‘Engineered in Germany,’ ” said Jochen Endle, a company spokesman.

在馬來西亞的產量“讓我們擁有了充分的靈活性，能夠以德國設計的高質量產品，可靠地應對非常不同且不斷變化的國際市場需求，”該公司發言人約亨·恩德爾(Jochen Endle)說。

It is a common theme. The technology comes from overseas, but the employees and most of the materials are Malaysian.

這種情況很普遍。技術來自海外，但員工和多數原材料來自馬來西亞本土。

Except for two expatriates in the finance department, all of First Solar’s 3,700 employees on three shifts are local hires. A few materials are imported from the United States, like certain electrical cables. But most others are now bought from Malaysian suppliers, like cord plates.

除了財務部有兩名外國人，第一太陽能的3700名員工都是在馬來西亞本地招聘的，他們需要接受三班倒的工作制度。只有少數原材料是從美國進口的，比如某些電纜。多數其他原材料目前是從馬來西亞的供應商那裏採購，比如線板。

“Localization of materials is part of our strategy of continuous cost reduction,” said AR. Jeyaganesh, First Solar’s plant manager, walking across an immaculate floor at one of the 24 production lines here, each an exact replica of the company’s four lines in Perrysburg, Ohio.

“原材料的本地化是我們不斷削減成本的策略中的一環，”第一太陽能公司的經理AR·傑亞格奈什(AR. Jeyaganesh)一邊說着，一邊從生產線光潔的地板上走過。這樣的生產線在馬來西亞有24條，每條都跟公司在俄亥俄州佩里斯堡的四條生產線一模一樣。

Multinationals are also hustling to introduce their latest inventions just as quickly here as in their home markets, to maintain standardized production techniques and quality. “When the decision is made” to add more robots or make other production changes, Mr. Jeyaganesh said, “it happens almost simultaneously in Perrysburg and here.”

跨國公司在這裏爭相引進他們最新的發明，速度和在本國市場一樣快，從而維持標準化的生產工藝和質量。傑亞格奈什說，“當我們做出決定的時候”，比如增加機器人數量，或在生產方面做出改變，“在這裏和佩里斯堡幾乎是同步進行的。”

Malaysia’s surge in the solar industry has irritated some of the original backers of American trade action against China. Critics say the goal was to create jobs in the United States, not Southeast Asia.

馬來西亞太陽能行業的增長，激怒了一些原本支持美國對中國採取貿易行動的人。批評人士說，這麼做的目標是在美國創造就業，不是在東南亞。

“In solar, a key technology to achieve our energy efficiency goals, the administration needs to implement a more aggressive and comprehensive trade strategy,” said Michael R. Wessel, a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, an advisory group created by Congress. “If not, we’ll simply trade our historical dependence on foreign oil for a dependence on foreign energy technologies and products.”

“太陽能是實現節能目標的關鍵技術，在這個行業，政府需要採取更加積極和全面的貿易政策，”美國國會設立的顧問機構美中經濟安全審查委員會(U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission)的成員邁克爾·R·韋賽爾(Michael R. Wessel)說。“否則，我們只是從對外國石油的長期依賴，轉變成對外國能源技術和產品的依賴。”

Malaysia is a beneficiary of the complex interaction of global trade rules, economic competitiveness and environmental policies in the solar industry. Tariffs have had the most immediate effect.

全球貿易規則、經濟競爭力和太陽能行業環保政策之間的複雜關係，讓馬來西亞從中受益。其中關稅帶來的影響最直接。

Solar prices started plummeting during the global financial crisis in 2009, as Chinese factories swiftly increased production, buoyed by large loans from state-owned banks at preferential interest rates, and free or nearly free land from local governments. Chinese manufacturers were also dumping panels, or selling them for less than it cost to make and ship them.

中國工廠曾以優惠的利率從國有銀行獲得大量貸款，並從當地政府那裏免費或者近乎免費地獲得土地使用權，它們的產量迅速提高，在2009年全球金融危機期間，太陽能產品價格開始急劇下降。中國製造商也開始傾銷電池板，即以低於製造和運輸成本的價格出售它們。

A flood of cheap Chinese exports caused two dozen solar manufacturers in the United States and Europe to go bankrupt or close factories. The United States responded in 2012 by imposing stiff anti-subsidy and anti-dumping duties totaling about 30 percent on panels from China. The European Union set import quotas and minimum prices for Chinese panels last year.

廉價的中國產品像洪水一樣涌來，導致美國和歐洲二十幾家太陽能製造商破產或停產。美國在2012年做出迴應，對中國太陽能電池板徵收反補貼和反傾銷稅，總計約30%。去年，歐盟也針對中國太陽能電池板設定了進口配額和最低價格。

On Tuesday, the Commerce Department is widely expected to broaden its steep duties on solar panels from China. Pending litigation would impose duties on panels made partly in China and partly in Taiwan, closing a loophole that allowed some Chinese companies to bypass the original duties.

本週二，市場普遍預期美國商務部將進一步提高中國太陽能電池板的關稅。未決訴訟將對那些部分在中國，部分在臺灣生產的電池板徵收關稅，從而堵住中國公司繞過原關稅的漏洞。

The plunge in prices through 2013, which leveled off as Chinese giants like Suntech Power and LDK Solar began going bankrupt from underpricing their panels, put a heavy emphasis on cost competitiveness. China’s rapidly rising wages, together with mounting geopolitical tensions, prompted multinationals to look elsewhere as well.

在低價銷售電池板的尚德電力和江西賽維等中國太陽能巨頭走向破產後，2013年的價格暴跌趨於平穩，它突顯了成本競爭的巨大重要性。中國工資水平的迅速上升，再加上日益緊張的地緣政治局勢，促使跨國公司把目光投向了別處。

That gave an edge to Malaysia, with its fairly low pay for skilled engineers and machinery operators.

這給馬來西亞帶來了機會，在當地，技能熟練的工程師和機械操作工工資相當低。

One of Malaysia’s biggest attractions is the 10-year exemption from corporate taxes for large domestic and foreign investors. While some American states offer breaks, comparable holidays from federal taxes are not available.

馬來西亞最有吸引力的地方是，對國內外大型投資者免徵10年企業稅。儘管美國一些州提供稅收減免措施，但卻沒有類似的聯邦免稅政策。

The Office of the United States Trade Representative expressed concern this year about Malaysia’s tax breaks in a review of trade policies. The White House agency has asked Malaysia to provide details of how they work so other countries can assess whether the tax breaks violate a World Trade Organization ban on export subsidies.

在今年的一次貿易政策調查中，美國貿易代表對馬來西亞的稅收減免政策表達了關注。白宮機構已經要求馬來西亞提交相關材料，以便其他國家評估這些政策是否違反了世貿組織的出口補貼禁令。

Malaysia denies breaking any trade rules. “All of the incentives, all the things that we do, are W.T.O.-compliant,” said Senator Idris Jala, Malaysia’s minister for economic development and efficiency.

馬來西亞否認自己違反了任何貿易規則。“我們提供的各種激勵方式，做的各種事情，全都符合世貿組織標準，”參議員伊特利斯·亞拉(Idris Jala)說，他是馬來西亞負責經濟發展和效率的部長。

The tax break cinched the deal for First Solar to set up most of its production here, said Maja Wessels, an executive vice president at the company.

在稅收減免政策的激勵下，第一太陽能公司決定把大部分生產環節安排在這裏，該公司的執行副總裁瑪雅·威爾斯(Maja Wessels)表示。

“That’s easy, the 10-year tax holiday,” she said. “When you look at solar manufacturing, and our manufacturing in particular, low labor costs contribute, but those taxes are critical.”

“這個決定毫不困難，馬來西亞有10年的免稅期，”她說。“對於太陽能生產，特別是我們公司的生產而言，低廉的勞動力成本很有好處，但至關重要的是稅收政策。”