China announced yesterday it will impose a second round of tariffs on imports of US chicken products of as much as 31.4 per cent, raising the temperature in the ongoing trade tussles between the two countries.

　　中國(guó)昨日宣布將對(duì)從美國(guó)進(jìn)口的肉雞產(chǎn)品開(kāi)征第二輪關(guān)稅，稅率最高達(dá)31.4%，此舉導(dǎo)致兩國(guó)之間的持續(xù)貿(mào)易角力升溫。

　　The commerce ministry said the new tariffs were a response to what it said were unfair subsidies given to poultry farmers in the US. The duties come on top of tariffs of up to 105.4 per cent that China placed on US poultry two months ago because of alleged dumping.

　　中國(guó)商務(wù)部表示，新關(guān)稅是對(duì)其所稱(chēng)的美國(guó)肉雞生產(chǎn)者得到的不公平補(bǔ)貼的回應(yīng)。2個(gè)月前中國(guó)曾以美國(guó)在華傾銷(xiāo)為由對(duì)美國(guó)肉雞產(chǎn)品開(kāi)征最高達(dá)105.4%的關(guān)稅，新關(guān)稅將在此基礎(chǔ)之上另行征收。

　　The new tariffs come at a time when economic friction between the two countries appeared to be relaxing, after the US Treasury department delayed its decision over whether to label China a currency manipulator and signals from Beijing that it will abandon its dollar peg.

　　新關(guān)稅出爐之際，中美兩國(guó)的經(jīng)濟(jì)摩擦似乎正在放緩，此前美國(guó)財(cái)政部決定推遲決定是否將中國(guó)列為匯率操縱國(guó)，而北京方面發(fā)出信號(hào)暗示，中國(guó)將放棄盯住美元的匯率政策。

　　It is a reminder of the number of thorny bilateral trade issues between the two countries, following the Obama administration's decision to levy tariffs on Chinese tyres in September.

　　此舉提醒人們，自?shī)W巴馬政府去年9月決定對(duì)中國(guó)輪胎開(kāi)征關(guān)稅后，中美兩國(guó)間棘手的雙邊貿(mào)易問(wèn)題之多。

　　The decision all but closes off what had become a lucrative side-business for the US poultry industry after China became its biggest export market, with sales of $722m in 2008. Chinese consumers favour chicken wings and feet, parts of the bird that are usually shunned in the US, which means they can fetch prices 20 times higher in the Chinese market.

　　中方的這一決定幾乎是對(duì)美國(guó)肉雞業(yè)關(guān)上了最大出口市場(chǎng)的大門(mén)；此前對(duì)華出口已成為美國(guó)肉雞業(yè)盈利頗豐的“副業(yè)”，2008年銷(xiāo)售額達(dá)到7.22億美元。中國(guó)消費(fèi)者喜愛(ài)雞翅和雞爪，而雞的這些部位在美國(guó)通常是無(wú)人敢碰的，這意味著它們?cè)谥袊?guó)市場(chǎng)可以賣(mài)到20倍于本土市場(chǎng)的價(jià)格。

　　Although there have been complaints from Chinese companies for several years about surging US chicken imports, Beijing announced it would investigate US poultry imports two days after the US decision to impose tariffs on Chinese imports of tyres. It was angered by the tyre duties because they used the safeguard provisions under China's World Trade Organisation accession agreement which can be invoked if there is a surge in imports from China.

　　雖然多年來(lái)中國(guó)企業(yè)一直在抱怨美國(guó)肉雞產(chǎn)品進(jìn)口激增，但北京方面在美方?jīng)Q定對(duì)中國(guó)輸美輪胎征收關(guān)稅兩天后才宣布將調(diào)查美國(guó)肉雞產(chǎn)品進(jìn)口。中國(guó)被輪胎關(guān)稅激怒，因?yàn)槊婪絼?dòng)用了中國(guó)加入世界貿(mào)易組織(WTO)協(xié)議中的特保條款；若從中國(guó)進(jìn)口的產(chǎn)品出現(xiàn)激增，便可動(dòng)用該條款。

　　This is the first time China has imposed duties on imports of agricultural goods on the grounds of alleged subsidies. Similar duties were placed on some US specialist steel products last year. The commerce ministry did not say how it had calculated the level of subsidies received by US farmers, although it said they were the result of the subsidised corn and soyabeans used in chicken feed.

　　這是中國(guó)首次以據(jù)稱(chēng)的補(bǔ)貼為由，對(duì)進(jìn)口農(nóng)產(chǎn)品征收關(guān)稅。去年中國(guó)還對(duì)美國(guó)的某些特種鋼材產(chǎn)品開(kāi)征了類(lèi)似關(guān)稅。中國(guó)商務(wù)部并未說(shuō)明它是如何計(jì)算美國(guó)農(nóng)民得到的補(bǔ)貼水平的，盡管它表示，這些補(bǔ)貼是雞飼料中的玉米和大豆受到補(bǔ)貼的結(jié)果。

　　Under the new ruling, US companies that submitted information to the Chinese government investigation, such as Pilgrim's Pride and Tyson Foods, would face duties of 3.8 per cent to 11.2 per cent, while companies which did not co-operate would face duties of 31.4 per cent.

　　根據(jù)這項(xiàng)新裁定，已向中國(guó)政府的調(diào)查提交信息的美國(guó)企業(yè)，如Pilgrim's Pride和泰森食品(Tyson Foods)，將面臨3.8% 至11.2%的關(guān)稅，而未給予合作的美國(guó)企業(yè)將面臨31.4%的關(guān)稅。