[Annotated] America and China are in a proper trade war

Donald Trump announces another wave of tariffs. China retaliates^[각주:1]

Another week, a further ratcheting up of^[각주:2] trade tensions between America and China. On September 17th President Donald Trump announced that he had approved another wave of tariffs on Chinese imports. From September 24th, imports of products which in 2017 were worth as much as $189bn, including furniture, computers and car parts^[각주:3], will be hit with duties of^[각주:4] 10%^[각주:5]. The Chinese have promised to retaliate on the same day with duties on $60bn of American exports. Unless peace breaks out before the new year^[각주:6], the American rate will increase to 25% on January 1st. 

Mr Trump regularly rants about how^[각주:7] the Chinese have taken advantage of Americans for too long. But American bureaucrats stress that these duties come after^[각주:8] careful deliberation^[각주:9]. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)^[각주:10] took seven months to write a report detailing China's unfair trade practices^[각주:11]. Each tranche of tariffs^[각주:12] has been consulted on^[각주:13] and then revised^[각주:14]. The latest set came after the USTR's office received 6,000 written submissions^[각주:15] and held six days of hearings^[각주:16]. 

Compared with an earlier proposal^[각주:17], the latest tariff list excludes products worth up to $30bn^[각주:18]. Child-safety seats^[각주:19] and safety headgear were exempted^[각주:20]. Antique more than a century old were spared^[각주:21], too. (Some had pointed out that the Chinese government restricted their export anyway.) Despite Mr Trump's warning on September 8th that prices of products made by Apple may increase as a result of his tariffs, smartwatches and bluetooth devices were removed from the list. 

The Trump administration claims that these deliberations^[각주:22] have helped to minimize the impact on the American consumer. The staggered tariff rate is^[각주:23] supposed to give importers time to change their suppliers^[각주:24]. Wilbur Ross, the commerce secretary^[각주:25], was mocked online for claiming that, because the tariffs are spread over thousands of products, "nobody's going to actually notice it at the end of the day". But in support of his claim^[각주:26] economists at Goldman Sachs, a bank, estimate that the 10% tariff rate will boost inflation by only around 0.03 percentage points, and the increase to 25% by a further 0.05 next year. 

Still, this diligence^[각주:27] was not welcomed by all. More than three-quarters of the products that will be affected on September 24th are intermediate and capital goods^[각주:28], which means the most immediate impact will be to push up American businesses' costs^[각주:29]. Mr Trump's announcement triggered complaints from^[각주:30] industry representatives including the US Chamber of Commerce^[각주:31], the American Chemistry Council and the American Apparel and Footwear Association, all of which warned that Americans would end up footing the tariff bill^[각주:32], and pleaded for a different approach^[각주:33]. 

Although it claims to be following due process^[각주:34], the Trump administration's actions are far removed from the procedures of the rules-based global trading system. Ordinarily^[각주:35], members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) would take their complaints to^[각주:36] the body's judges^[각주:37]. If such accusation^[각주:38] are^[각주:39] upheld^[각주:40], then those judges allow limited retaliation^[각주:41]. 

In 2012, for example, the American government complained to the WTO that^[각주:42] the Chinese government was breaking the rules by restricting the export of rare-earth elements^[각주:43]. China's dominance in^[각주:44] their global supply meant that this hurt American manufacturers by pushing up prices for their inputs. After the WTO's judges sided with^[각주:45] the Americans, the Chinese government dropped^[각주:46] the measures^[각주:47]. 

The Trump administration claims that the WTO's incomplete rule book^[각주:48] makes it incapable of addressing^[각주:49] China's alleged misdemeanours^[각주:50], which include the practice of forcing foreign companies to hand over their technology^[각주:51]. But America is simultaneously^[각주:52] weakening the system by which the WTO's rules are enforced, by blocking the appointment of judges to the body's court of appeals^[각주:53]. From October only three will be left - the minimum needed to rule on a case. 

On September 18th Cecilia Malmström, the European Union's trade commissioner, unveiled a "concept paper" outlining reforms that^[각주:54] could plug some of the gaps in^[각주:55] the WTO's rules, as well as ways to reform dispute settlement^[각주:56]. But it is far from clear whether either Mr Trump or the Chinese government will take the bait^[각주:57]. 

And without the multilateral^[각주:58] rules-based system to contain the conflict^[각주:59], the trade war between China and America could get much bloodier^[각주:60]. In his announcement on September 17th Mr Trump threatened to hit another $267bn-worth of Chinese imports if Chinese show little sign of backing down, and have promised to use fiscal policy to^[각주:61] soften^[각주:62] any domestic blow^[각주:63]. 

Although they are running out of American exports to target^[각주:64], they have other ways to fight. On September 17th, for example, reports emerged of a Chinese official musing about China^[각주:65] repeating its trick of imposing export restrictions on^[각주:66] raw materials which^[각주:67] American manufacturers depend on. The next day, Craig Allen, chairman of the US-China Business Council, warned that the WTO had made clear its opinion that^[각주:68] such restrictions were illegal. But why, when America is acting outside the rule book, should others stick to it^[각주:69]?

1. retaliate ; [자동사][V] ~ (against sb/sth) | ~ (by doing sth/with sth) 보복하다, 앙갚음하다 ; 유의어 take revenge [본문으로]
2. ratchet up ; [자동사] 래칫 장치로 움직이게 하다, 서서히 오르다 ((up)); 서서히 내리다 ((down)) ; a ratcheting up of, 명사형으로 사용한 것을 확인 [본문으로]
3. car part ; [명사] 자동차 부품 [본문으로]
4. duty ; 4. [종종 pl.] 세금, 관세(cf. TAX) [본문으로]
5. be hit with duties of 10 percent ; 10%의 관세에 부딪히다. [본문으로]
6. break out ; 발발[발생]하다 [본문으로]
7. rant about ; …에 대해 과장하여 말하다[떠들어 대다] [본문으로]
8. come after ; …의 뒤를 잇다(=follow). [본문으로]
9. deliberation ; 1. [U, C, 주로 복수로] 숙고, 숙의 ;; 2. [U] 신중함, 찬찬함 [본문으로]
10. the Office of the United States Trade Representative ; 미국통상대표부 참조 USTR [본문으로]
11. trade practices ; 무역관행, 관습 [본문으로]
12. tranche ; [명사] (英, 금융) (기업 자금·주식의) 분할 발행[차입] ;; 1. 박편, 일부분 ;; 2. (금융) 트랑슈 ((발행 채권 중 외국에서 구매되는 부분)) ;; [NOUN] [usu N of n] In economics, a tranche of shares in a company, or a tranche of a company, is a number of shares in that company. [본문으로]
13. consult ; [타동사] 1. <전문가에게> 의견을 묻다, 상담[상의]하다 ((on, about)); <의사에게> 보이다, 진찰받다 ; ORIGIN Latin ; 「잘 생각하다」의 뜻에서 ;; 3. 고려하다, 염두에 두다, 짐작하다 ;; HELP ; 현재는 consider 쪽이 일반적임. [본문으로]
14. revise ; 1. [타동사][VN] (의견·계획을) 변경[수정]하다 ; [VERB] If you revise the way you think about something, you adjust your thoughts, usually in order to make them better or more suited to how things are. [본문으로]
15. written submission ; A document intended for the court which summarizes the relevant facts, the law and a proposed analysis to bring to the two, on behalf of a litigant. ;; A written submission is your opportunity to tell us in writing why, if you are the appellant, you should win your appeal and what benefits you think you should receive. If you are the respondent, it is your opportunity to tell us in writing why the appellant should not win their appeal. [본문으로]
16. hearings ; [명사] (행정) 청문회(聽聞會) [본문으로]
17. compared with ; ~과 비교하여 [본문으로]
18. exclude ; 1. [타동사] ~ sth (from sth) 제외[배제]하다 ; 반의어 include [본문으로]
19. child safety seat ; (교통) 유아용 안전시트, 차일드 시트 ; Chair adapted to the size of a child; it is equipped with a safety harness for keeping the child seated and attached to the rear seat by the seat belt. [본문으로]
20. exempt ; [타동사][VN] ~ sb/sth (from sth) (격식) 면제하다[받다] [본문으로]
21. spare ; 2. ~ sb/yourself (from) sth (불쾌한 일을) 모면하게[겪지 않아도 되게] 하다 ;; 3. [주로 수동태로] ~ sb/sth (from sth) (격식) (특히 남들은 피할 수 없었던 상해죽음 등을) 피하게[면하게] 해 주다 [본문으로]
22. deliberation ; 1. [U, C, 주로 복수로] 숙고, 숙의 ;; [NOUN] Deliberation is the long and careful consideration of a subject. [본문으로]
23. staggered ; 1. [명사 앞에는 안 씀] ~ (at/by sth) | ~ (to hear, learn, see, etc.) 깜짝 놀란, 충격을 받은 ; 유의어 amazed ;; 2. 시차를 둔 [본문으로]
24. supplier ; [명사] 공급자, 공급 회사 ;; [NOUN] A supplier is a person, company, or organization that sells or supplies something such as goods or equipment to customers. [본문으로]
25. commerce secretary ; 상무장관* Secretary of Commerce ;; the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Commerce [본문으로]
26. in support of ; …을 지지[옹호]하여 [본문으로]
27. diligence ; [U] (격식) 근면, 성실 [본문으로]
28. capital goods ; [pl.] (상업) 자본재 ; 참조 consumer goods [본문으로]
29. push up ; 2. [가격]을 올리다; [수량]을 늘리다 ;; to make something rise or increase [본문으로]
30. trigger ; 1. [타동사] ~ sth (off) 촉발시키다 ; 유의어 set off [본문으로]
31. Chamber of Commerce of the U.S. 미연방 상업회의소. [본문으로]
32. foot a[the] bill ; 비용을 부담하다, 돈을 치르다 [본문으로]
33. plead for ; …을 탄원[호소]하다 [본문으로]
34. due process ; [명사] (법률) 정당한 법 절차. (또는 due còurse of láw) [본문으로]
35. ordinarily ; 1. 정상적으로 ; 유의어 normally ;; 2. 보통 때는, 대개는 ; 유의어 usually [본문으로]
36. a complaint to ; …에게 하는 항의, 불만 토로 [본문으로]
37. body ; 5. [C + sing. / pl. v.] (흔히 공공 목적을 위해 함께 일하는) 단체[조직] [본문으로]
38. accusation ; [C, U] ~ (of sth) (against sb) | ~ (that…) 혐의 (제기), 비난; 고발, 기소 [본문으로]
39. accusation 을 불가산으로 사용하였는데 복수로 받음 ; 흐름상 accusations 에서 s를 빼먹은 걸로 보임 [본문으로]
40. uphold ; 2. [타동사] (특히 법정에서) (이전의 판결을) 확인하다, (요구 사항의 타당성을) 인정하다 [본문으로]
41. retaliation ; [U] ~ (against sb/sth) (for sth) 보복, 앙갚음 ; 유의어 reprisal [본문으로]
42. complain to ; …에게 불평하다[항의하다]. [본문으로]
43. rare-earth element ; (화학) 희토류 원소 [본문으로]
44. dominance in ; …에서의 우월. [본문으로]
45. side with ; ~의 편을 들다 [본문으로]
46. drop ; 11. [타동사][VN] (하던 일논의를) 그만두다[중단하다] [본문으로]
47. measures ; [명사] 방안, 방법, 조치 [본문으로]
48. rule book ; [명사] (보통 the rule book) 규칙서, 규정집 ;; [NOUN] A rule book is a book containing the official rules for a particular game, job, or organization. [본문으로]
49. address ; 5. ~ (yourself to) sth (격식) (문제상황 등에 대해) 고심하다[다루다] [본문으로]
50. misdemeanour (英) (美 mis·de·meanor) ; 1. (격식) (아주 심각하지는 않은) 비행 ;; 2. (특히 美, 법률) 경범죄 ; 참조 felony ;; [NOUN] A misdemeanour is an act that some people consider to be wrong or unacceptable. [본문으로]
51. hand (sth/sb) over (to sb) ; (공식적으로·격식을 갖추어) ~을 넘겨주다[양도하다] [본문으로]
52. simultaneously ; [부사] 동시에 ((with)); 일제히 [본문으로]
53. court of appeals ; (미국법) 1. 상소 법원 ;; 2. [또는 C- of A-] (미국 New York주 등의) 최고 법원 [본문으로]
54. outline ; 1. ~ sth (to sb) 개요를 서술하다 ; 유의어 sketch ;; 2. [타동사][VN] [주로 수동태로] 윤곽을 보여주다[나타내다] ;; [VERB] If you outline an idea or a plan, you explain it in a general way. [본문으로]
55. plug ; (-gg-) [VN] 1. [타동사] ~ sth (up) (구멍을 마개 같은 것으로) 막다[틀어막다] ;; 2. (부족한 것을) 메우다 [본문으로]
56. dispute settlement ; (법률) 분쟁처리 [본문으로]
57. take[rise to] the bait[fly] ; 미끼를 물다 [본문으로]
58. multilateral ; 1. 다자간[다국간]의 ;; 2. 다각적인 ; 참조 bilateral, trilateral, unilateral [본문으로]
59. contain ; 3. [타동사] (좋지 않은 일을) 방지하다[억제하다] [본문으로]
60. bloody ; (blood·ier, bloodi·est) 1. 피비린내 나는, 유혈이 낭자한, 살벌한, 잔인한, 잔학한(cruel) ;; 2. 피투성이의 ;; 4. 심한, 지독한(cf. SANGUINARY 3a)) [본문으로]
61. (a) fiscal policy ; 금융 정책, 재정 정책 [본문으로]
62. soften ; 4. [타동사][VN] (충격·영향 등의 강도가) 약해지다; 약화시키다 ; 유의어 cushion ;; [VERB] If you soften something or if it softens, it becomes less hard, stiff, or firm. [본문으로]
63. blow ; [명사] 3. (불시의) 타격; (불의의) 충격, 정신적 타격; 뜻밖의 재해. [본문으로]
64. run out of ; 2. …으로부터 도망 나오다[달아나다] [본문으로]
65. muse about ; …을 숙고하다. [본문으로]
66. export restriction ; 수출규제 [본문으로]
67. raw materials ; [명사] 원자재 [본문으로]
68. make clear[plain] ; 명료하게 하다, 분명히 하다 [본문으로]
69. stick to ; 굳게 지키다, 방침을 고수하다 [본문으로]