经济学人35:太阳能关税 太阳黑子

 　　Business.

　　商业。

　　Solar tariffs²

　　太阳能关税

　　Sunspots

　　太阳黑子

　　American tariffs on Chinese solar panels are dangerous and pointless

　　美国对中国征收的太阳能电池板关税损人不利己

　　SOLAR energy is at a delicate, maybe historic, moment.The cost of the glassy photovoltaic panels that generate most solar electricity-by freeing electrons from a semiconducting material such as silicon-is plummeting³. In the past four years their average cost has fallen by more than 75%. At less than $1 per watt⁴ of generating capacity, solar is now the cheapest power source in some sunny places, especially those, like India, that lack fossil-fuelled alternatives. This is starting to look like a revolution. Everyone who wants a reliable and nonpolluting energy supply, you would think, would welcome that.

　　太阳能产业正处于一个微妙的，或许是历史性的时刻。用于太阳能发电的光伏板的造价近来一跌再跌，该板状似玻璃，其发电机理为从诸如硅的半导体材料中释放出电子。在过去的四年里，其平均价格已经下降了75%之多。每瓦产能不到一美元，这让太阳能在一些阳光充足的地方成为目前最便宜的能源，特别像在印度这样没有矿物燃料可供选择的国家。这看起来像是一场变革。可以想象，需要环保稳当能源供给的人们都会对此表示欢迎。

　　But on May 17th America's Commerce Department slapped a provisional tariff¹ of 31% on 61 Chinese makers⁵ of solar panels, including some of the cheapest in the business Another group of unnamed Chinese solar companies, which failed to respond satisfactorily to the department's inquiries⁶, were hit with a 250% tariff. These duties, which are expected to be confirmed in October, were in response to an anti-dumping complaint from seven solar firms including SolarWorld, a German company with operations in America.

　　可是，5月17日，美国商务部决定对61家中国太阳能电池板制造商征收31%的临时关税，包括一些业内最便宜光伏板的制造厂家。另一些不知名的中国太阳能公司因未能针对商业部的咨询提供令人满意的答复而被征收250%的关税。这些预计将在10月份得到确认的关税，是为了响应一个反倾销投诉，该投诉由包括在美国有业务的德国公司SolarWorld在内的七家太阳能公司提出。

　　China's panelmaking industry has seen explosive growth, fuelled by strong demand, mainly from Europe, but also by soft loans from state-owned lenders. Chinese panelmakers are reckoned by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), a research firm, to be able to make panels for around 10% less than the industry's average cost. They have undercut European and American producers: between 2009 and 2011 the value of American imports of cheap Chinese panels soared from $640m to $3.1 billion.

　　由于受到主要来自欧洲刚性需求的刺激，同时享有国有银行软贷款的优惠，中国电池板制造业发展迅猛。调查公司彭博新能源财经（Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF)）估计，中国电池板制造商制造的电池板，其价格少于业内平均成本约10%。他们削弱了欧美对手的竞争力：2009年到2011年间，美国从中国进口廉价电池板的总额从6.4亿美元猛增至31亿美元。

　　This has brought misery⁷ to higher-cost producers, which a recent slowdown in demand for solar panels, caused mostly by reductions in European and American subsidies⁸, has greatly exacerbated⁹. Many solar firms, Chinese and otherwise, are now furiously selling inventory-the bane of an industry where prices are falling-at a loss. Some have gone bust¹⁰, including recently a clutch of once-pioneering German firms such as Solarhybrid, Solon, Solar Millennium¹¹ and Q-Cells.

　　这个已经很让那些高造价的厂商苦恼，最近主要由于欧洲和美国政府削减补贴而带来的市场对光伏板需求的减缓更令其苦恼加剧。许多中国和其他国家的太阳能公司亏着本拼命甩卖库存（掉价中的产业祸根）。最近一些厂家已破产，包括一批曾是行业先驱的德国公司，如Solarhybrid, Solon, Solar Millennium 以及 Q-Cells。

　　The American tariffs, if confirmed, will annoy Chinese panelmakers-and perhaps a wide array of American exporters, too, if China's "strongly dissatisfied" government launches retaliatory¹² measures. But they are unlikely to save many Western solar firms. The tariffs were long mooted¹³ (though they are even higher than expected), which has allowed Chinese exporters to build large inventories¹⁴ in the United States.

　　美国的关税征收如果得到证实，将会惹恼中国电池板制造商。如果“强烈不满的”中国政府为此实施报复性措施，也许还会惹怒一大群美国出口商。但他们似乎不会给予西方众多太阳能企业以庇护。此次的关税征收酝酿已久（尽管甚至高于预期），在此期间中国出口商在美国囤积了大量库存。

　　Some developers of American solar projects have also signed precautionary deals, committing their Chinese suppliers to covering the cost of the mooted tariffs. The most integrated Chinese solar firms, such as SunTech, the world's biggest panel-maker, could probably stomach this, because panels represent less than a quarter of the cost of installed solar generating capacity. Financing, installation and other infrastructure¹⁵ costs account for the rest. They will also look to make or buy panels in other Asian manufacturing hubs, such as Taiwan and South Korea. These panels will not be subject to the tariffs, even if they are assembled into solar modules¹⁶ in China.

　　美国一些太阳能项目开发商还签署了预防协议，使得中国供应商为关税征收的酝酿埋单。像尚德太阳能（SunTech）（世界最大的电池制造商）这样的中国一体化太阳能公司或许还吃得消，因为电池板的成本还不到安装太阳能发电成本的25%。融资成本，安装成本，以及其他基础设施建设成本占75%。他们将考虑在亚洲其他如台湾，韩国的制造中心生产或购买电池板。尽管在中国电池板被组装到太阳能电池组件中，但他们不会受关税的影响。

　　Whatever the legal merits of SolarWorld's complaint, America will help neither the planet nor its own domestic consumers by shutting out Chinese solar panels. And, predicts BNEF's Nat Bullard, the tariffs will not even do much to protect American solar firms.

　　不论SolarWorld额上诉有什么法律特点，美国排挤中国太阳能产业的这种做法，既不环保，又没有保护到自己国内的消费者。而且，彭博新能源财经（BNEF）的Nat Bullard预计，这个关税甚至对美国太阳能公司起不到多大保护作用。

1 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。

2 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。

3 plummeting   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Prices are rising, falling, going up, going down, shooting up, plummeting, etc. 物价在上涨、下跌、上升、下落、猛然上涨、骤然下跌等。 来自辞典例句
• The enemy plane went plummeting into the sea. 敌机直直掉进海里。 来自辞典例句

4 watt   

n.瓦，瓦特

参考例句：

• The invention of the engine is creditable to Watt.发动机的发明归功于瓦特。
• The unit of power is watt.功率的单位是瓦特。

5 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》

6 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

8 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 exacerbated   

v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs. 这些症状可能会因为某些药物而加重。
• The drugs they gave her only exacerbated the pain. 他们给她吃的药只是加重了她的痛楚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

11 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

12 retaliatory   

adj.报复的

参考例句：

• The process can take years before the WTO approves retaliatory action. 在WTO通过此行动之前，这个程序恐怕要等上一阵子了。 来自互联网
• Retaliatory tariffs on China are tantamount to taxing ourselves as a punishment. 将惩罚性关税强加于中国相当于对我们自己实施课税惩罚。 来自互联网

13 mooted   

adj.未决定的，有争议的，有疑问的v.提出…供讨论( moot的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The is sue was mooted on the Senate floor. 该问题在参院被提出讨论。 来自辞典例句
• The question mooted in the board meeting is still a moot point. 那个在董事会上（提出讨论）的问题仍（未决的）。 来自互联网

14 inventories   

n.总结( inventory的名词复数 )；细账；存货清单（或财产目录）的编制

参考例句：

• In other cases, such as inventories, inputs and outputs are both continuous. 在另一些情况下，比如存货，其投入和产出都是持续不断的。
• The store must clear its winter inventories by April 1st. 该店必须在4月1日前售清冬季存货。

15 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

16 modules   

n.模块( module的名词复数 )；单元；（宇宙飞船上各个独立的）舱；组件

参考例句：

• The course consists of ten core modules and five optional modules. 这门课程包括十个必修单元和五个选修单元。
• Our English course is divided into modules on poetry, drama, and novels. 我们的英语课分为诗歌、戏剧和小说等单元。 来自《简明英汉词典》