中國商務部啓動食糖進口調查

China’s commerce ministry has opened a six-month investigation into the country’s rapidly rising sugar imports at the request of local producers, who are still struggling to cope with the end of state-set price floors one year ago.

中國商務部依照國內生產商的要求，對中國迅速增長的食糖進口啓動了爲期六個月的調查。目前，中國國內生產商仍在艱難應對去年政府統一訂購價取消後的局面。

The Ministry of Commerce investigation will focus on import growth during the period from the start of 2011 through the end of March 2016, according to an announcement on its official site.

根據商務部網站上發佈的公告，該部門的調查將主要關注從2011年初到2016年3月底這段時期內的進口增長現象。

The Guangxi Sugar Industry Association – which put in the request for an investigation – asserted in its application for investigation that first-quarter imports rose more than 663 per cent during said period, constituting an attack on domestic producers.

申請調查的廣西糖業協會(Guangxi Sugar Industry Association)在調查申請書中聲稱，在上述時期內一季度進口增長逾663%，對中國國內產業造成衝擊。

The call for state support follows four straight years of operating losses for China’s domestic sugar industry, with the latest estimates from the US Department of Agriculture forecasting a drop in annual production of more than 20 per cent for the 2015/16 period to 8.4m metric tons, to be followed by a 2.4 per cent drop in 2016/17 as labour costs rise and profitability continues to plummet.

在廣西糖業協會呼籲政府部門予以支持之前，中國國內食糖產業遭遇了連續四年的運營虧損。據美國農業部(USDA)最新估計，2015至2016年期間中國食糖年產量下滑逾20%至840萬公噸，而由於勞動力成本攀升及盈利繼續大幅下滑，2016至2017年間還會下滑2.4%。

The domestic industry was dealt a heavy blow last September when the provincial governments of Guangdong, Hainan and Yunnan announced an end to sugar price floors.

去年9月，廣東、海南和雲南省宣佈取消政府統一制定的最低收購價，國內的食糖產業正在應對這一變化導致的沉重打擊。

In its annual report on the sector the USDA cited industry analyses estimating that 90 per cent of domestic sugar manufacturers were operating at a loss by March of this year.

在對該產業的年度報告中，美國農業部援引業內的分析估計，今年3月以前，90%的中國國內食糖生產商都在虧損運營。

It also noted that imports in recent years had greatly exceeded the 1.95 MMT annual tariff rate quota, as high domestic prices make imported sugar price competitive even with an out-of-quota tariff rate of 50 percent,

該報告還指出，最近幾年中國食糖進口量大大超過了195萬噸的年度進口關稅配額總量，原因是中國國內高企的糖價導致即使算上50%的超額關稅，進口食糖的價格仍然很有競爭力。

Noting also persistent reports that smuggling of sugar believed to originate in India or Thailand and brought in across China’s long, porous borders with Myanmar and Vietnam was still widespread.

報告還提到了不斷出現的有關食糖走私仍在大面積出現的報道，這些走私食糖據信來自印度或泰國，通過中緬和中越間漫長而易於穿越的邊境線進入中國。

As of May USDA estimates ranked China’s domestic human consumption of sugar at third-the largest globally, only 800,000 tons below that of all EU member states combined.

美國農業部5月份的估計把中國國內食用糖消費量排在全球第三，只比歐盟成員國的總和低80萬噸。

Forecasts call for subdued consumption growth in China to gradually regain steam even as domestic production shrinks, making any additional duties slapped on imports as a result of the new investigation more apt to drive up prices for sugar-hungry consumers.

多方預期預計，儘管中國國內的產量在下滑，中國受抑制的食糖消費增長勢頭會逐步恢復。這導致對於對食糖需求很大的消費者羣體來說，新調查引發的額外進口關稅更容易推升糖價。

The commerce ministry estimated its investigation, formally launched today, would draw to a close by March 22.

據商務部估計，這一今天正式啓動的調查會在3月22日前結束。