美國財長 外需疲弱或拖累美國復甦

The US economy appears to have entered a period of “self-sustaining” growth but governments in other major economies must do more to stimulate demand, US Treasury secretary Jack Lew warned yesterday.

美國財政部長傑克•盧(Jack Lew)昨日警告稱，美國經濟似乎已進入“可自我持續”增長期，但其他主要經濟體的政府必須採取更多行動刺激需求。

Mr Lew said, in evidence to Congress, that 2.5 per cent growth last year and robust forecasts for this year indicated that the US was set to expand “substantially faster than all of the other advanced economies combined” in 2015. But he added: “While the recovery in the US economy has helped to drive global growth, the rest of the world cannot depend on the United States to be the sole engine of growth.” Mr Lew cited a pledge last year from the G20 group of leading economies for more to be done to stimulate domestic demand around the world but hinted at US frustration that other major economies were not living up to that promise.

盧在接受美國國會質詢時表示，去年2.5%的增長率、以及今年預計的強勁增長，顯示美國2015年增長“速度將顯著高於其他所有發達經濟體”。但他補充稱，“儘管美國經濟復甦幫助推動了全球增長，但世界不能依賴美國做唯一的增長引擎。”盧提到去年20國集團(G20)的呼籲，即世界各國領先經濟體應採取更多行動刺激內需，然後暗示，美國對其他主要經濟體未能兌現這一承諾感到失望。

“Our strength allows us to maintain our leadership in the global community and while we must lead by example, we cannot do it alone,” he told the hearing.

他在國會聽證會上表示：“我們的實力允許我們維持在國際社會的領導地位，然而，儘管我們必須以實際行動來領導，但我們孤掌難鳴。”

The US was the only major economy apart from Spain to have its growth outlook upgraded last month by the International Monetary Fund .

在國際貨幣基金組織(IMF)上月上調增長預測的國家中，美國是除西班牙以外唯一的主要經濟體。

While the US economy decelerated in the fourth quarter of 2014, expanding at an annualised 2.6 per cent pace, compared with 5 per cent a year ago, its growth rate was still faster than the average set in the first 21 quarters of the recovery. This contrasts sharply with other major economies, including notably the eurozone, which has been heading into deflation.

儘管美國經濟2014年4季度增長有所減速，年化增長率爲2.6%，低於上年同期的5%，但該季度增長率仍高於此輪復甦21個季度以來的平均水平。這與其他主要經濟體形成鮮明對比，尤其是歐元區，後者在滑向通縮。

The IMF expects the US to grow at three times the rate of the euro area this year.

IMF預計今年美國的增長率將爲歐元區的3倍。

Mr Lew gave voice to broader fears among US officials that the rebound in the US could be curtailed by sluggish demand overseas. That worry was flagged up by the US Federal Reserve last week when it added “international developments” to a list of swing factors informing its interest rate policy.

盧表達了美國官員的普遍擔憂，即海外需求疲軟可能削弱美國經濟反彈。上週，美聯儲(Fed)指出了這一擔憂，將“國際動態”加入了影響其利率政策的因素清單。