China US trade talks

CrisisInvesting

新一轮贸易谈判结束后 美国再发报告批评中国 微信 + A - 中国制造 中美贸易战 中美关系 2019-03-30 17:48:27 导语 美国贸易代表办公室（USTR）于3月29日公布2019年贸易评估报告，再次批评中国不公平的贸易政策、“中国制造2025”计划等，并认为中国对上述问题并未采取任何措施进行改善。 美国贸易代表办公室公布2019年贸易评估报告，再次批评中国（图源：Reuters） 据彭博社3月30日报道，美国贸易代表办公室（USTR）于3月29日公布2019年贸易评估报告，再次批评中国不公平的贸易政策。该报告指出，目前中国在多个特定领域仍持续实行贸易壁垒政策，美国对此十分关注。 贸易评估报告称，中国在2018年实行广泛的产业政策，限制外国产品、外国厂商和外国服务商进入中国市场，同时对中国国内产业提供大量的政府帮助、资源以及监管支持。 报告以技术转让为例，中国政府多次做出要调整政策的承诺，但是实际上并没有真正付出行动。贸易评估报告批评说，中国以各种方式强制美国公司把技术和知识产权转让给中国公司、剥夺美国公司以市场规则向中国公司发放知识产权的许可证；干预市场，指导或不公平地促进中国公司收购美国公司的资产，以获取尖端科技和知识产权；以及入侵网络，盗窃信息，获取商业上的好处。 美国贸易代表办公室称，2018年11月在更新贸易评估报告时发现，中国对上述问题并未采取任何措施进行改善。因此美国才相继对2,500亿美元的中国商品加征关税。 相关阅读 美媒揭新一轮美中贸易谈判细节：取得进展背后仍有隐忧 美媒：北京在贸易谈判中首度松口 美中欲达成共同目标 华府动态：蓬佩奥再批一带一路 特朗普贸易战赢局或已定 据《华尔街日报》3月29日报道称，美财政部长努钦（Steven Mnuchin）及美国贸易代表莱特希泽（Robert Lighthizer）结束了在中国北京举行的美中第八轮贸易谈判，虽然两国在知识产权保护方面取得前所未有的进展，但还是没能达成最后协议。 除此之外，贸易评估报告还批评了“中国制造2025”产业计划。报告称中国政府确定了10个战略领域，通过任何可能的方式在中国市场提供中国技术、产品及服务以取代外国技术、产品和服务，进而建立中国公司在多个高端科技领域抢占世界领先的地位。 《华尔街日报》指出，中国政府的支持和补贴促进了中国产业的发展，但是导致大量的产能过剩，影响到世界市场的价格，从而损害了美国和其它世贸组织成员国的利益。 ...转自多维新闻网

CrisisInvesting

Earlier Friday, White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow called on the Fed to “immediately” cut interest rates by a half percentage point, escalating the Trump administration’s fight with the central bank and challenging its independence.

Kudlow “would love to see” such a move, according to a report by Axios, which cited an interview Friday with the director of the National Economic Council. Later on CNBC, Kudlow said a rate cut would protect the strength of the American economy from weakness abroad, though he said such a move isn’t needed immediately and the “underlying economy” isn’t slowing.

The comments follow a report saying Stephen Moore, whom Trump plans to nominate to the Fed’s board, also advocated a half-point cut. Fed policy makers last week projected they would keep interest rates on hold for the year, compared with their December forecast for two rate hikes, as slowing global growth weighs on the U.S. economy. The Fed’s target benchmark rate stands in a range of 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent.

Fed spokesman David Skidmore declined to comment on Kudlow’s remarks, which came days after Moore told the New York Times that the central bank should ease. Skidmore also declined to comment on Trump’s tweet.

Moore is a conservative pundit and supporter of the president who co-authored the book “Trumponomics: Inside the America First Plan to Get Our Economy Back on Track.”

Kudlow, said the president has “had his views on Chair Powell. They had dinner together. I couldn’t make the dinner. He’s our chairman. We’re not going to displace him.”

Policy Expectations

Trump dined with Powell at the White House on Feb. 4, the central bank announced at the time in a statement that said its chief did not discuss his expectations for monetary policy.

Trump’s criticism -- in interviews and on Twitter -- disregarded long-standing White House practice of avoiding public comment on monetary policy out of respect for the Fed’s independence, which is an article of faith among investors who purchase U.S. Treasuries. Kudlow’s direct demand for a rate cut took things up a notch.

“It’s more than poor form, it crosses a line,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton in Chicago.

Swonk said she’s confident the Fed under Powell will continue to ignore White House pressure when making monetary policy decisions, but Kudlow’s remarks help chip away at the central bank’s independence.

“If it’s OK for one White House to do it, maybe it’s OK for another White House to do it, and over time that may have a cumulative effect,” she said. “We know that countries that allow their central bank to be run by the political whims of those governing do extremely poorly over time.”