美国国家公共电台 NPR Trade War With China Heats Up, But Tariff Effects Are Already Rippling Across U.S.

 

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Many American companies are anxious about the trade war with China. It escalated¹ last week when the two economic superpowers imposed tariffs³ on each other's imports. But trade battles have been going on since the start of the year with billions of dollars on the line. NPR's Dustin Dwyer looks at the ripple⁴ effects across the U.S. economy.

DUSTIN DWYER, BYLINE⁵: The Trump⁶ administration says the tariffs are about protecting American jobs, and some American jobs have been saved. In Hillsboro, Ore., a solar plant got a second chance at life earlier this year after tariffs on imported solar panels went into effect. In Clyde, Ohio, the Whirlpool Corporation says it's adding 200 jobs because of tariffs on imported washing machines that started in January. And then there's Clarksville, Tenn.

KIM MCMILLAN: If you have ever heard of the Monkees song, that's us - "Last Train To Clarksville."

DWYER: That's Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan. Clarksville was in line to get a washing machine factory from LG, a Korean company. McMillan says she worried the tariffs on washing machines would pummel LG and ruin plans for the factory. But instead, LG is speeding up construction.

MCMILLAN: They have been working as hard and fast as they can to get this plant online.

DWYER: McMillan says LG may be able to open the factory a year ahead of schedule and bring 600 jobs with it, but the tariffs haven't been good for all U.S. communities. In Owosso, Mich. - population 15,000 - Tom Campbell expects to take a $30,000 hit on his family-owned business because of tariffs. His business - the local, daily newspaper. The price of paper has skyrocketed since the Trump administration launched a 22 percent tariff² on imported newsprint from Canada.

TOM CAMPBELL: Around about October, November, December, things started going crazy (laughter). And they still are.

DWYER: And in Florida, the much larger Tampa Bay Times announced its costs are up about $3 million because of tariffs. And layoffs⁷ have already started. But the biggest impacts from tariffs so far this year come from the back-and-forth over aluminum⁸ and steel. The Trump administration imposed its tariffs in June. Canada, Mexico and the EU have all responded. Some American companies are getting hit twice, companies like Correct Craft - a Florida-based boat-maker. CEO Bill Yeargin says, one, he's facing higher aluminum prices. Even though Correct Craft buys American-made aluminum, prices are up across the board because of tariffs. And, two, the retaliatory⁹ tariffs from Mexico, Canada and the EU target boats. Yeargin says he's already lost orders from dealers¹⁰ in those countries. Before the tariffs, Correct Craft was planning to hire 50 new workers to build more boats. Now that may never happen.

BILL YEARGIN: There's a good chance that we won't. And so right off the bat, you know, that's starting to impact our business from the growth potential and opportunities that we have.

DWYER: Yeargin says he hopes the Trump administration can settle the trade disputes quickly, but past examples show that won't be easy. Remember Clarksville, destination of the famous Monkees song? Washing machines weren't Mayor Kim McMillan's first go-around on tariffs. Back in 2013, Clarksville was the site of a new $1.2 billion factory that promised a thousand jobs making polysilicon, a component¹¹ in solar panels. The factory was fully¹² built, and then...

MCMILLAN: They were unable to start production because of the global trade issues that we had with China.

DWYER: China hit the U.S. that year with a tariff on polysilicon. The $1.2 billion Clarksville factory never opened. The tariff devastated¹³ American companies in the polysilicon business. And years later, the tariff still stands. Though, now, it's just one small part of a growing global trade battle. Dustin Dwyer, NPR News.

1 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

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 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 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。

7 layoffs   

临时解雇( layoff的名词复数 )； 停工，停止活动

参考例句：

• Textile companies announced 2000 fresh layoffs last week. 各纺织公司上周宣布再次裁员两千人。
• Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs. 当公司突然宣布裁员时，股票价格便大跌

8 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

9 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

10 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

11 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

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。

13 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。