美国有线新闻 CNN 特朗普开始重新协商北美自贸协定

 

And President Trump¹ says he's beginning to renegotiate NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

REPORTER: Italian fabrics², Japanese Kobe beef, American cars, where there are goods, there's trade.

Trade deals make it easier and cheaper for countries to trade with one another. They're not necessary, but there's a price to pay if you don't have one. Countries generally slap an extra charge on foreign products when they cross the border.

Free trade deals can get rid of these tariffs³, pushing prices down and giving customers better access to foreign goods. They can strengthen diplomatic ties. Almost every country in the world has them. Around 230 trade deals went into force between 2000 and 2016, according to World Trade Organization.

So, how do they work?

Let's say two or more countries, Country A, Country B, and Country C, decide they want a deal. They gather important people around the table, lawyers, negotiators, regulators, and they hammer out the details. They'll work out the different sectors⁴ they want to focus on and discuss ways to align⁵ their industry rules. Leaders give their stamp of approval and generally, lawmakers have to ratify⁶ everything.

But it takes time. Modern, large scale trade deals between multiple countries can take years to sign and there's a lot of back and forth⁷. The recent free trade deal between Canada and the European Union took nearly a decade to sign. Even smaller trade deals can often take a year or two.

But not everyone is a fan. Critics say it's better when the tariffs are in place and everyone minds their own business. They say cheap foreign products drown out domestic industry and hurt local jobs. But when trade barriers go up, countries can hurt themselves, leading to higher prices, potential shortages and unhappy customers.

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 fabrics   

织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地

参考例句：

• cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
• The fabrics are merchandised through a network of dealers. 通过经销网点销售纺织品。

3 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

4 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

6 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

7 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。