美国国家公共电台 NPR Trump's Proposed Auto Tariffs Threaten Kia Plant In Georgia

 

NOEL KING, HOST:

President Trump¹ surprised the world this week when he announced a truce² on tariffs⁴ with Europe. But the administration could still slap Asia-based carmakers with tariffs on imported auto⁵ parts and vehicles. Companies like Kia, which is based South Korea, could be especially vulnerable. It has factories in the U.S. Johnny Kauffman of member station WABE visited a Kia plant on the Georgia-Alabama border, where people are worried.

JOHNNY KAUFFMAN, BYLINE⁶: Steve Tramell stands in the grass along Kia Boulevard, a four-lane highway in West Point, Ga. Tramell is mayor of the town, population 3,700. And these days, he's worried. The largest employer in his town is under pressure thanks to President Trump's threat of tariffs on imported auto parts and vehicles. Tramell looks across the road at a massive gray factory. Kia is written on the side in bold, red letters.

STEVE TRAMELL: As far as automobile⁷ manufacturing, we think it's a beautiful plant. It's got, you know, the Kia plants here and then Hyundai Mobis and then Hyundai Dymos, which are two of the suppliers, are directly to the left of it. It's a big, big facility.

KAUFFMAN: Kia says it's invested $1.6 billion into the 2,200-acre plant and the surrounding area. Tramell says in 2006, when Kia announced plans to open the plant, it was a big deal.

TRAMELL: The excitement in downtown was wild. The signs that were popping up in people's yards - thank Jesus for Kia (laughter) - you know, things like that. It was really neat.

KAUFFMAN: Today Kia says its plant in West Point and the nearby suppliers employ 14,000 full-time⁸ workers. Those jobs could be at risk from Trump's proposed tariffs. Kia would be hit in at least two ways. First, importing already made vehicles into the U.S. would be more expensive. Two-thirds of the vehicles Kia sells here come from other countries like South Korea and Mexico. And second, the company would pay more to import parts for the vehicles it makes in the U.S., like at this factory. Kia warns the tariffs would lead to job cuts right here in West Point.

Just down the road from the Kia plant, Des Carlisle is headed into a gas station. The 26-year-old is on a break from job hunting.

DES CARLISLE: Like, I just recently lost my job working out there - like, recently.

KAUFFMAN: Carlisle worked as a temp at the Kia plant. His job was to make sure people who painted the cars had the necessary supplies. Three months ago, Carlisle's contract ended. He worries any slowdown at Kia would hurt his friends and family.

CARLISLE: I got a lot of homeboys that work at plenty of these plants. Like, the whole Kia Boulevard, I've got homeboys out there.

KAUFFMAN: Carlisle says President Trump doesn't understand how auto tariffs could hurt the community here. Also at the gas station, Carl Michalski is on his way to work at Yanfang Interiors, where he's a production supervisor⁹. The company makes door panels for the Sorento, Kia's midsize SUV. Michalski isn't worried about auto tariffs.

CARL MICHALSKI: It might get rough for a minute, but I think it's going to all work itself out in the best. China is going to come to the table and do what they're supposed to do.

KAUFFMAN: Michalski says he trusts Trump to handle the international trade dispute. Auto tariffs wouldn't just affect workers but potential car buyers, too, especially for Kia. Autotrader analyst¹⁰ Michelle Krebs says Kia depends on sales of less expensive, compact cars. And its customers tend to be younger with less money to spare.

MICHELLE KREBS: So if you add on the cost of a tariff³, they would lose sales because it would be very difficult for consumers to afford even more.

KAUFFMAN: Krebs says car companies like Nissan and Hyundai face a similar scenario¹¹. And she says if prices go up and production slows, it could mean job cuts. That's why Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Democratic Senator Doug Jones of Alabama filed a bill this week to delay the tariffs. They're among a growing number of politicians worried about an escalating¹² trade war, and that may help explain why the EU managed to negotiate a truce on the tariffs aimed at Europe.

For NPR News, I'm Johnny Kauffman in West Point, Ga.

1 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。

2 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

3 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。

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 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

6 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。

7 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

8 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

9 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

10 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

11 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

12 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句