2018年CRI US trade entities express frustration over new tariffs on Chinese goods

 

US business and trade groups are expressing their frustration¹ over the latest round of proposed tariffs³ on Chinese goods.

They are voicing their concerns at public hearings in the capital.

The Office of US Trade Representative first proposed a 10% tariff² on about 200 billion of Chinese imports in July and later raised that rate to 25%. This week and next Monday a public hearing on the proposal is being held in Washington DC.

Most representatives at the hearing voiced strong opposition⁴ against the proposal, saying a tariff hike will result in a heavy burden on American companies, and ultimately rising prices for American consumers.

Bob Margevicius is executive vice⁵ President for Bicycle Product Suppliers Association and Specialized⁶ Bicycle Components⁷ in America. He said, "The biggest concern is that it impacts virtually all bicycles, in particular it impacts children's bicycles. The majority we import here in the US are children's bikes. Children's bikes are entry points for kids to get involved in cycling. They become immersed and they become part of it. It actually engages them for future usage of bikes and for the future being part of our industry. So we really need them."

Margevicius began his testimony⁸ at the hearing by asking the panelists if they still remember how exciting it was for them to get their first bike. He told, "Individual components are produced locally in China, whether through Tianjin, or Kunshan, or in the Shenzhen area. The products themselves need to meet safety requirements. So to transition from one country to another takes a lot of time to build the manufacturing cluster. It's a difficult and complex project for us."

Americans buy about 18 million bikes every year and most of these bikes come from China. Statistics show that if the US government were to impose tariffs on bikes and related products coming from China, the accumulative tariffs rate for American consumers will be as high as 36%. The even bigger concern is that this will cause bike retail⁹ stores to close, the bike industry to shrink, and people employed in the industry to lose their jobs.

An argument frequently raised by trade entity¹⁰ representatives at the hearing is that over the years China has developed a high level of craftsmanship¹¹ and labor¹² quality, which makes it very hard for them to find substitute makers¹³ in other countries in a short period of time.

Ross Bishop¹⁴, once an engineer of major US defense¹⁵ tech company Lockheed Martin and a pilot, is now president of a company that produces specialized luggage for pilots. He said, "We've worked with factories in Vietnam before. The products weren't as good and they ended up getting more and more expensive. So if you can work with the best force and with the best price, and it happens to be China, and that's what you are going to do."

Bishop also told that his company was planning to expand its business, but the government's tariffs proposal is forcing them to slow down.

Besides all the frustration and anger from manufacturers in the country, the bigger worry is obviously placed on American households, who many argue will eventually pay for the protectionist trade approach by the government.

Francis Sailer is a lawyer attending the hearing, he said, "This is not a tariff that's going to in any way hurt China. It's gonna hurt Tom, Jones, and Bob, Smith, and the guys who have the startup companies that rely on the expertise¹⁶ that's been developed in China. So it's crazy."

The Office of the US Trade Representative said earlier that due to an unforeseen number of entities¹⁷ seeking to present their cases, the length of the hearing had been doubled. It's estimated that over 350 representatives from US companies and trade associations will attend the hearing. Written statements will be received till September 6th and after that the panel at the hearing will deliver a policy recommendation to the US Trade Representative.

1 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

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 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。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

7 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

8 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

9 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

10 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

11 craftsmanship   

n.手艺

参考例句：

• The whole house is a monument to her craftsmanship. 那整座房子是她技艺的一座丰碑。
• We admired the superb craftsmanship of the furniture. 我们很欣赏这个家具的一流工艺。

12 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

13 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

15 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

16 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

17 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。