http://espresso.economist.com/a3d2924150c8fc0c437925e9bc080941 -- Dec 17th 2018
Under review: trade policy
Today America faces a biennial review by other World Trade Organisation members.
- biennial 兩年一次的
These are detailed.
America received more than 1,600 written questions during the last one.
Longstanding complaints will come up, regarding America’s preference for local suppliers in government procurement and its heavy use of defensive duties on products including steel.
- come up 上來；出現(xiàn)；發(fā)生
- preference 偏愛；愛好；喜愛；偏愛的事物
- Longstanding 長期存在的；長期的
- procurement （尤指為政府或機構）采購
New questions will surface, too.
Countries are likely to highlight the Trump administration’s new and broader tariffs on steel and aluminium in the name of national security, its unilateral action against the Chinese and its habit of hobbling the WTO’s dispute-resolution system.
- aluminium 鋁
- in the name of 以…的名義；以……名義；以…為借口
- national security 國家安全
- unilateral 單方的
- hobble 跛行 (along； about)；(說話,行動)疙疙瘩瘩
But the Americans can retort that other members are being hypocritical.
- retort 反擊；回嘴；頂嘴
- hypocritical 偽善的；虛偽；虛偽的
At the very least, America’s tariffs are out in the open.
- At the very least 至少；起碼；最低限度
- tariffs 關稅制度；關稅問題；關稅表項目
- in the open 公開
Other trade-distorting behaviours, such as China’s and India’s subsidies for firms and farmers, are substantial but better hidden from scrutiny.
- distort 扭曲；變形；歪曲
- subsidy 補貼；補助金
- substantial 大量的；價值巨大的；重大的；大而堅固的
Rules mean little if they are simply violated in secret.
