2018年CRI U.S. tariff moves undermines international trade rules: experts

 

A number of analysts¹ are suggesting that the recent tariff² moves by the United States are severely³ undermining international trade rules.

Observers believe that the U.S. side's threat to impose tariffs⁴ on even more Chinese products is in fact a tit-for-tat measure.

U.S. President Donald Trump⁵ threatened on Thursday to slap 100 billion U.S. dollars of additional tariffs on China, one day after China announced a list of U.S. products worth 50 billion dollars subject to additional 25 percent tariffs, in order to strike back at a previous U.S. tariff proposal of the same size.

The proposed tariffs from the U.S. side are based on a so-called Section 301 investigation⁶ launched by Trump's administration last year, into Chinese intellectual property and technology transfer practices.

Experts suggested the move by the U.S. violates World Trade Organization rules.

"First of all, the Section 301 investigation is based on the U.S. domestic trade laws. To handle global disputes by taking measures based on domestic laws does not make any sense. Secondly⁷, the U.S. is trying to propose two separate tariff plans rather than one, both based on Section 301 investigations⁸. That clearly demonstrates its intention to benefit itself at the expense of others," said Yu Miaojie, deputy head of National School of Development at Peking University.

Others also warned that the U.S. actions could pose a threat to the global economy.

"In 2017, China's exports to the U.S. totaled some 400 billion dollars. As such, according to the two separate tariff plans, the U.S. is seeking to slap tariffs on Chinese imports worth a total of 150 billion dollars, accounting⁹ for 35 percent of China's exports to the U.S. That huge amount poses a serious challenge to global economic development and also severely undermines international trade rules," said Ren Dongyan, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Ren also suggested that China could take countermeasures, such as further expanding its markets to the outside world.

"China could introduce new measures showing that it will always remain open to the outside world. It could also open up more new markets abroad through cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, countries along the Lancang-Mekong River, as well as through platforms such as the Forum¹⁰ on China-Africa Cooperation or the China International Import Expo," said Ren.

China's Ministry¹¹ of Commerce has said the country is fully¹² prepared and will not hesitate to strike back fiercely at U.S. tariff escalations.

1 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

2 tariff   

n.关税，税率；(旅馆、饭店等)价目表，收费表

参考例句：

• There is a very high tariff on jewelry.宝石类的关税率很高。
• The government is going to lower the tariff on importing cars.政府打算降低进口汽车的关税。

3 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

4 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

5 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

8 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

9 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

10 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

11 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

12 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。