A trade deal reached on Sunday between the United States and the European Union has sparked controversy among European officials, businesspeople and analysts — despite both sides hailing it as a step toward restoring "trade balance "and promoting fairer commerce.
美国和欧盟周日达成的一项贸易协议在欧洲官员、商界人士和分析人士中引发了争议,尽管双方都称赞这是恢复“贸易平衡”和促进更公平商业的一步。
At the heart of the debate is the deal's asymmetry: The US will lower tariffs on EU goods to 15 percent, while the EU has agreed not to impose additional tariffs on US products.
争论的核心是该协议的不对称性:美国将把欧盟商品的关税降至15%,而欧盟已同意不对美国产品征收额外关税。
French Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad described the agreement as "unbalanced", though he acknowledged it would "bring temporary stability to economic actors threatened by the escalation of American tariffs".
法国欧洲事务部长本杰明·哈达德称该协议“不平衡”,尽管他承认该协议将“为受美国关税升级威胁的经济行为体带来暂时的稳定”。
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, "We have thus managed to preserve our fundamental interests, even if I would have wished for more relief in trans-Atlantic trade."
德国总理弗里德里希·默茨说:“因此,我们设法维护了我们的根本利益,即使我希望在跨大西洋贸易中得到更多缓解。”
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the agreement "ensures stability" and that the 15 percent tariff level is "sustainable", especially if it is not added to previous duties.
意大利总理Giorgia Meloni表示,该协议“确保了稳定”,15%的关税水平是“可持续的”,特别是如果不将其添加到以前的关税中。
Olivier Blanchard, a Robert Solow professor of economics emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, called the agreement "completely unequal", saying the "asymmetric 15 percent tariffs are an EU defeat".
麻省理工学院Robert Solow经济学荣誉退休教授Olivier Blanchard称该协议“完全不平等”,称“不对称的15%关税是欧盟的失败”。
"When the law of the jungle prevails, the weak have little choice than to accept their fate," he wrote on X. "But Europe could potentially have been strong, either alone or in a coalition with others. It would have had to be ready for stormy waters. But it would have gotten a better deal in the end and sent a strong message to the world. An opportunity lost."
“当丛林法则盛行时,弱者别无选择,只能接受自己的命运,”他在X上写道。“但欧洲本可以强大,无论是单独还是与其他国家结盟。它必须为风暴做好准备。但最终它会得到更好的协议,并向世界发出强烈的信息。失去了一个机会。”
Bernard Dewit, chairman of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, voiced concern over the 15 percent baseline US tariff on EU goods, "particularly in light of Europe's broader economic and trade interests".
比利时中国商会主席Bernard Dewit对美国对欧盟商品征收15%的基准关税表示担忧,“特别是考虑到欧洲更广泛的经济和贸易利益”。
"Such a move risks escalating trans-Atlantic trade tensions and could undermine the stability and predictability that European businesses rely on," he told China Daily.
他告诉《中国日报》:“此举有可能加剧跨大西洋贸易紧张局势,并可能破坏欧洲企业所依赖的稳定性和可预测性。”。
"European exporters, including many in Belgium, operate in highly integrated global supply chains. The imposition of a blanket tariff will inevitably increase costs, reduce competitiveness and possibly prompt retaliatory measures — ultimately hurting consumers and small- and medium-sized enterprises on both sides of the Atlantic."
“欧洲出口商,包括比利时的许多出口商,在高度一体化的全球供应链中运营。征收一揽子关税将不可避免地增加成本,降低竞争力,并可能引发报复措施,最终损害大西洋两岸的消费者和中小型企业。”
Dewit urged Europe to further diversify its trade relationships. "Strengthening ties with dynamic markets such as China, ASEAN, and Africa becomes increasingly strategic," he said.
德维特敦促欧洲进一步实现贸易关系多样化。他说:“加强与中国、东盟和非洲等充满活力的市场的联系变得越来越具有战略意义。”。
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade, described the US-EU deal as "lopsided".
欧洲议会国际贸易委员会主席贝恩德·兰格将美欧协议描述为“一边倒”。
"My first assessment: not satisfactory," he wrote on X. "Concessions have clearly been made that are difficult to accept. Deal with significant imbalance."
“我的第一个评估是:不令人满意,”他在X上写道。“显然已经做出了难以接受的让步。处理严重的不平衡。”
According to the published details of the agreement, the EU has pledged to purchase $750 billion worth of US energy and commit an additional $600 billion in US investments.
根据已公布的协议细节,欧盟已承诺购买价值7500亿美元的美国能源,并承诺向美国额外投资6000亿美元。
The scale of the deal has left many European analysts stunned. Qin Yan, a principal analyst at ClearBlue Markets in Norway, told China Daily that every energy market expert she is talking with is busy calculating how much US energy the EU would need to buy to reach such a harsh number.
这笔交易的规模让许多欧洲分析人士感到震惊。挪威ClearBlue Markets的首席分析师秦燕告诉《中国日报》,与她交谈的每一位能源市场专家都在忙着计算欧盟需要购买多少美国能源才能达到如此苛刻的数字。
Clyde Russell, an Asia commodities and energy columnist for Reuters, noted: "Putting together the value of EU imports of US crude oil, LNG and metallurgical coal gives a 2024 total of around $64.55 billion.
路透社亚洲大宗商品和能源专栏作家Clyde Russell指出:“将欧盟进口的美国原油、液化天然气和冶金煤的价值加起来,2024年的总价值约为645.5亿美元。
"This is about 26 percent of the $250 billion the EU is supposed to spend on US energy a year under the framework agreement."
“这大约是欧盟根据框架协议每年应在美国能源上花费2500亿美元的26%。”
Qin likened the deal to "visiting a small cafe around the street corner and booking a banquet big enough for 1,000 tables of guests".
秦将这笔交易比作“参观街角的一家小咖啡馆,预订一场足以容纳1000桌客人的宴会”。
"My concern is that the commitment to US energy purchases should not undermine the EU's climate goal," she said.
她说:“我担心的是,美国购买能源的承诺不应破坏欧盟的气候目标。”。
lopsided
n.不平衡,
/ˌlɒpˈsaɪdɪd/
baseline
n.基础
/ˈbeɪslaɪn/
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