VOA慢速英语-Economics Report - High Fuel Prices Drive Manufactur

This is the VOA Special English Economics¹ Report.
　
Cargo² containers are loaded onto a ship at the Port of Miami

In the last thirty years, American businesses have increasingly used suppliers in China and all over the world. This helped fuel a current account deficit³ of seven hundred thirty-one billion dollars last year. The current account is a measure of the difference between a country's income and its current spending.

Even so, many companies profited by importing goods from foreign suppliers as world trade barriers fell and oil prices were low. But wage costs have risen in China. And now, with oil so costly⁴, many economists⁵ wonder how wise it is to make products far from home markets.

A recent report by Jeff Rubin and Benjamin Tal at the Canadian bank CIBC said shipping⁶ inflation⁷ is taking the place of the old trade tariffs⁸. For example, in the year two thousand, the cost to send a twelve-meter shipping container from Shanghai to the American East Coast was three thousand dollars. Now the cost has risen to eight thousand dollars.

High transportation costs have already affected⁹ China's foreign trade. The rate of export growth decreased from about twenty-seven percent a year ago to twenty-two percent in the first half of this year.

To cut transportation costs, some companies are opening factories in countries where they sell their products. Sweden's Ikea, the world's largest seller of home furniture, just opened its first factory in the United States in Virginia.

Countries like the United States that have lost manufacturing jobs to foreign competition could see some of those jobs return. But a new report says American businesses are also looking at other ways to deal with high fuel prices. The report is from a transportation research company based in London, Eyefortransport.

It says that for years the industry has tried to reduce costs by moving goods through the supply chain as quickly as possible. Now, high fuel costs are making some companies restructure their operations. Fewer but larger loads are being shipped.

And companies are moving more goods by rail and by water, along coasts and inland waterways. Not only does that save fuel, the report says, it also helps shippers and carriers improve their "green" image.

With these changes, it says, American manufacturers are looking for low-cost countries closer to home -- known as near shoring. At the same time, there appears to be a common belief in the industry that some carriers are raising fuel charges just to increase profits.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

 

1 economics   

n.经济学，经济情况

参考例句：

• He is studying economics,which subject is very important.他正在学习经济学，该学科是很重要的。
• One can't separate politics from economics.不能把政治与经济割裂开来。

2 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

3 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

7 inflation   

n.胀大，夸张，通货膨胀

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• The inflation of the airbed took several minutes.给空气床垫充气花了几分钟时间。

8 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。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。