美國對鋼鐵進口展開國家安全調查

The US has set the stage for a global showdown over steel, launching a national security probe that could lead to sweeping tariffs on steel imports in what would be the first significant act of protectionism by President Donald Trump.

美國已經爲在鋼鐵問題上進行全球攤牌搭起舞臺：以國家安全爲由展開調查，可能導致美國對鋼鐵進口實施全面關稅，那將是唐納德?特朗普(Donald Trump)總統的首項重大保護主義行動。

The decision to use a 1962 law allowing the US government to limit imports that threaten security readiness is intended to deliver on Mr Trump’s campaign promise to bolster heavy industry and “put new American steel into the spine of this country”, officials said.

美國官員表示，利用1962年的一部法律（准許美國政府對危及安全應對能力的進口進行限制）的決定，旨在兌現特朗普的競選承諾：支撐重工業，“把新的美國鋼鐵放入這個國家的脊柱中”。

But it risks setting off trade tensions with China just days after Mr Trump avoided another conflict by backing down on a promise to label Beijing a currency manipulator, citing in part its help in dealing with North Korea.

但這可能會引發美國與中國的貿易緊張關係，不久前特朗普剛剛避免引發另一場衝突，放棄了給中國貼上匯率操縱國的承諾，稱一部分原因是中國正在幫助對付朝鮮。

Mr Trump called the move a “historic day for American steel” but insisted it “has nothing to do with China”. “This has to do with worldwide, what’s happening,” he said.

特朗普稱此舉是“美國鋼鐵業歷史性的一天”，但堅持稱“與中國無關”。他稱，“這與全世界有關，與正在發生的情況有關。”

The push on steel came as Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, repeated a warning that protectionism represented a serious threat to global growth.

此次對鋼鐵採取行動，正值國際貨幣基金組織(IMF)總裁克里斯蒂娜?拉加德(Christine Lagarde)再次警告保護主義對全球增長構成嚴重威脅。

But Ms Lagarde, who has been locked in a rhetorical battle over protectionism with Wilbur Ross, Mr Trump’s commerce secretary, sought to engage with the White House by acknowledging a need for changes in global trade. Echoing some of Mr Trump’s criticism of the multilateral system, the former French finance minister said there were increasing signs countries were violating global trading rules.

但是，在保護主義問題上正與特朗普的商務部長威爾伯?羅斯(Wilbur Ross)陷入一場論戰的拉加德，也承認全球貿易格局需要某些改變，藉此找到和白宮之間的共同點。這位法國前財長呼應了特朗普對多邊體系的某些批評，稱有越來越多的跡象表明，有些國家正在違反全球貿易規則。

Mr Ross said the administration was concerned that rising steel imports were threatening the US industry and its ability to respond quickly to security needs.

羅斯稱，特朗普政府擔心不斷增加的鋼鐵進口，正威脅美國工業及其迅速應對安全需求的能力。

The issue was particularly relevant because of Mr Trump’s plans to increase spending on defence programmes, such as warships, that rely on steel, he said.

他稱，由於特朗普計劃增加依賴鋼鐵的國防項目開支，比如軍艦，因此該問題格外相關。

The US in recent years has launched 152 steel anti-dumping cases at the World Trade Organisation, with another 25 pending, but Mr Ross said the trade dispute system was “porous” because it allowed only narrowly-focused complaints against specific countries.

近年來，美國在世貿組織(WTO)發起了152次鋼鐵反傾銷申訴，另有25起申訴案尚未提起，但羅斯稱，世貿組織的貿易爭端解決機制“千瘡百孔”，因爲它只允許對特定國家發起波及面非常窄的申訴。

“We’re groping here to see whether the facts warrant a more comprehensive solution that would deal with a very wide range of steel products from a very wide range of countries,” he said.

他稱，“我們正在摸索，看看事實是否證明需要更全面的解決方案，從而一舉對付來自很多國家的各種鋼材產品。”

Any such action by the US would be likely to hurt steel producers in Europe and Asia, and trigger reprisals.

美國採取任何此類行動都可能會損害歐洲和亞洲的鋼鐵製造商，並且引發報復。

The US steel industry has blamed Chinese overcapacity for driving down global prices and causing it to shut down mills. The sector is operating at only 71 per cent of its capacity with imports accounting for more than a quarter of the US steel market, Mr Ross said.

美國鋼鐵業指責中國產能過剩導致了全球鋼鐵價格下滑，造成美國關閉了部分工廠。羅斯稱，美國鋼鐵業目前只利用了71%的產能，進口鋼鐵佔據了美國鋼鐵市場四分之一以上的份額。

While Mr Trump has promised a hardline trade policy since taking office, his biggest action to date has been to pull the US out of a vast, but never finalised, 12-country Pacific trade deal. Most other moves have thus far been largely rhetorical.

儘管特朗普在上任以來承諾採取強硬的貿易政策，但他迄今採取的最大行動是讓美國退出擁有12個成員國、龐大但從未敲定的太平洋貿易協定。其他大多數行動迄今基本上停留在表態上。