受关税影响，宝马将提高美国汽车在华售价

唐纳德·特朗普开启的贸易战引发了复杂的后果，其最新表现就是宝马（BMW）宣布将提高两款在美国南卡罗来纳州生产的SUV的在华售价，此举可能导致这两款汽车的需求量出现萎缩。

路透社报道称，受涨价影响的两款车型分别是X5和X6，涨价幅度则在4%至7%之间。比起中国最近对美国制造的汽车加征的25%关税，这一涨幅较低，也意味着关税惩罚会削减宝马在汽车上的利润空间。宝马已经警告称，公司无法“完全消化”高关税导致的成本增加。

中国在7月初宣布对美国汽车征收高达40%的关税，这仅仅发生在该国表示要把进口汽车关税下调至15%的两个月后。这种令人难以捉摸的反复，表明特朗普总统的关税政策引发了诸多不确定状况，尽管中国的一些让步表明他的策略还是起到了效果。

南卡罗来纳州的宝马工厂位于斯帕坦堡。这个州和这个城市在2016年的美国大选中鼎力支持特朗普当选。工厂改善了那里的经济，但宝马的官员警告称特朗普的贸易战可能会影响就业。

面对关税的猛增，美国的汽车厂商反应各异。福特（Ford）表示公司不会对每年出口到中国的大约8万辆汽车提价。规模小得多，而且在努力增加现金流的特斯拉（Tesla）则宣布把在华销售的汽车提价约20%。中国经销商在接受路透社采访时表示，一些美产的梅赛德斯-奔驰（Mercedes Benz）汽车的在华售价也有所提高。

包括通用汽车（GM）和福特在内的一些美国汽车厂商已经把许多在华销售的汽车放到中国生产了。如果他们认为中国将继续对美国生产的商品设立高门槛，就可能把更多的生产环节——以及工作岗位、技能甚至技术——迁往海外。例如，在特斯拉爆出涨价消息的同一天，该公司就宣布了在上海建立工厂的计划。

这会让特斯拉成为第一家在中国开设独资工厂，而非合资企业的外国厂商。在中国的许多行业，外企若想经营，就必须与中国本土的公司合作。特朗普政府认为这些合资企业正是窃取知识产权的媒介。中国近日宣布将逐步取消合资企业的规定，这显然是对特朗普激进贸易政策的回应。（财富中文网）

译者：严匡正

In the latest sign of the complex fallout from Donald Trump’s trade war, BMW says it will raise the price in China of two SUVs manufactured in South Carolina, potentially dampening demand for the vehicles.

Reuters reports that the price increases will impact the X5 and X6 SUV models, and will be between 4 and 7%. That’s less than the recent 25% increase in Chinese tariffs on imported U.S.-made cars, meaning the tariffs will cut into BMW’s profit margin on the vehicles. BMW had already warned that it wouldn’t be able to “completely absorb” the cost of higher tariffs.

China announced earlier July that it was raising its tariffs on U.S. vehicles to a whopping 40%, two months after saying it would lower tariffs for imported vehicles as a whole to 15%. That confusing back-and-forth points to the sheer uncertainty unleashed by the president’s tariffs, though China has made some concessions that suggests his tactics are having an effect.

BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, S.C.— a state and city that heavily favored Trump in the 2016 election—has transformed the economy there, but BMW officials have warned that Trump’s trade war could threaten jobs.

U.S. carmakers have responded in varying ways to the tariff hike. Ford said it would not raise prices on the roughly 80,000 vehicles it exports to China annually. Tesla, a much smaller company working to improve its cashflow, announced that it would raise prices on its cars sold in China by about 20%. Prices of some American-made Mercedes Benz vehicles have also risen, according to Chinese dealers speaking to Reuters.

Some U.S. car companies, including GM and Ford, already manufacture many of the cars they sell in China in that country. If companies believe that China’s barriers to U.S.-produced goods will remain high, they may move more production—along with jobs, skills, and even technology—overseas. Tesla, for instance, announced plans for a factory in Shanghai on the same day news broke of its price increases in China.

That would make Tesla the first foreign manufacturer to open a wholly owned factory in China, rather than a joint venture with a local partner. Those partnerships have been required for foreign companies operating in many sectors in China, and have been targeted by the Trump administration as vectors for intellectual property theft. China recently said it would phase out its joint venture rules, apparently in response to Trump’s aggressive trade policy.