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| Two bipartisan bills introduced in Congress this week aim to change a nearly 100-year-old trade rule that allows imported packages that fall under a certain price threshold to receive less oversight in the U.S. customs process. |
| 本周在国会提出的两项两党法案旨在改变一项近100年历史的贸易规则，该规则允许低于一定价格门槛的进口包裹在美国海关通关过程中受到较少监管。 |
| The trade rule is called “de minimis,” and critics say it gives an unfair advantage to foreign e-commerce companies, including some where forced labor is an issue. Currently, companies importing packages valued under $800 are not charged duties, taxes or fees by the U.S. government. |
| 这项贸易规则被称为“低额豁免”，批评人士说，它给外国电子商务公司提供了不公平的优势，包括一些存在强迫劳动问题的地方。目前，美国政府不向进口价值低于800美元包裹的公司征收关税、税收或其他费用。 |
| A bill introduced Thursday looks to bar countries such as China and Russia, which are considered “nonmarket economies,” from being eligible to use this trade law. It also seeks to have U.S. Customs and Border Protection collect more information on all shipments under the $800 threshold. That information would include a description of the article, the article’s country of origin, and the identity of the shipper and importer. |
| 周四提出的一项法案旨在禁止中国和俄罗斯等被认为是“非市场经济”的国家使用这项贸易法的资格。它还寻求让美国海关和边境保护局对所有低于800美元门槛的货物收集更多的信息，包括物品描述、物品原产国以及托运人和进口商的身份。 |
| That bill was introduced by Senators Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, and Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, and Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Democrat from Oregon, and Neal Dunn, a Florida Republican. Its sponsors argue that a change to the trade law would eliminate a loophole that allows companies to get products into the United States that may have been made with forced labor, and would level the playing field for American companies that face the fees associated with importing goods made for them in other countries. |
| 该法案由佛罗里达州共和党参议员马尔科·卢比奥、俄亥俄州民主党参议员谢罗德·布朗、俄勒冈州民主党众议员厄尔·布鲁门诺尔和佛罗里达州共和党众议员尼尔·邓恩提出。提案者认为，对这项贸易法的修改将消除一项漏洞，该漏洞允许企业把可能通过强迫劳动制造的产品运入美国；此外，该修改还将为进口其他国家制造商品的美国公司提供公平的竞争环境。 |
| “I think our legislation is targeted very narrowly in areas of abuse, and this has the potential of getting very strong bipartisan support,” Mr. Blumenauer said in an interview. |
| “我认为，我们的立法针对的是非常狭隘的滥用领域，有可能获得两党的大力支持，”布鲁门诺尔在接受采访时说。 |
| Why It Matters: The law affects prices for e-commerce companies. |
| 为什么这很重要：该法律会影响电子商务公司的定价。 |
| In 2016, the de minimis limit was raised to $800 from $200. That move relieved burdens on the customs department. Then the pandemic hit, and online shopping boomed. |
| 2016年，最低限额从200美元提高到800美元。这一举措减轻了海关部门的负担。后来，新冠疫情暴发，网上购物开始蓬勃发展。 |
| Some online retailers have benefited financially from the law because they ship small batches of orders directly to shoppers from overseas. That differs from the practice of many traditional retailers, which usually import large batches of apparel into the United States — paying the requisite fees — and then deliver online orders from warehouses. |
| 一些在线零售商从这项法律中获得了经济上的好处，因为它们可以直接从海外向购物者发出小批量订单。这与许多传统零售商的做法不同，后者通常要将大量服装进口到美国——支付必要的费用——然后从仓库发送网购订单。 |
| Shein, an online clothing retailer founded in China, is one of the companies the bill would affect. Shein has become popular among U.S. shoppers for its ultralow prices and sophisticated mobile app and website. Its $11 smock dresses and $6 floral print bikinis are shipped directly to shoppers, allowing it to bypass import fees. |
| 在中国成立的在线服装零售商Shein是该法案将影响的公司之一。Shein凭着极低的价格和先进的移动应用程序及网站，在美国消费者中很受欢迎。其售价11美元的罩衫裙和售价六美元的印花比基尼可以绕过进口税费，直接发货给购物者。 |
| In recent months, Shein has opened U.S. distribution centers to send merchandise to American shoppers. That could lead to more fees at customs as it directs large quantities of goods to its warehouses first. |
| 最近几个月，Shein在美国开设了配送中心，向美国消费者发货。这可能会导致该公司在海关支付更多费用，因为它会先将大量货物导入其仓库。 |
| But Shein has faced scrutiny for some of its business practices, such as claims that it has copied designs and used cotton in its clothes from Xinjiang, a region in China where, U.S. officials say, the government has abused Uyghurs. Investors anticipate an initial public offering from Shein this year, which has only increased questions about the company. |
| 但Shein因一些商业行为而面临审视，有人声称它的设计存在抄袭，并在服装中使用来自新疆的棉花，美国官员称中国政府在新疆虐待维吾尔人。投资者预计Shein今年将进行首次公开募股，这只会增加对该公司的质疑。 |
| The bill introduced Thursday does not mention the company by name, but “Shein is probably the most obvious example of a company that has exploited the de minimis loophole the most,” Mr. Blumenauer said. |
| 周四提出的法案没有提到该公司的名字，但“Shein可能是最明显地利用了低额豁免漏洞的公司”，布鲁门诺尔说。 |
| “Maybe there’s a modest financial savings to consumers, but at what price?” he said about Shein’s affordable product line. “I just think that we’ve made a determination that we’re going to respect environment, human rights and product safety, even if it’s a cost of a few more pennies.” |
| “也许消费者能省下一笔钱，但代价是什么？”他谈到Shein的平价产品线时说。“我认为，我们已经下定决心，我们将尊重环境、人权和产品安全，即使这需要多花几分钱的代价。” |
| Shein said in a statement that it had “zero tolerance for forced labor” and had created a system to comply with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. The system includes a “code of conduct, independent audits, robust tracing technology and third-party testing,” a Shein spokeswoman said. “We have no manufacturers in the Xinjiang region.” |
| Shein在声明中表示，该公司“对强迫劳动零容忍”，并建立了一个系统来遵守《维吾尔族强迫劳动防治法》。该系统包括“行为准则、独立审计、可靠的追踪技术和第三方测试”，Shein的一位发言人表示。“我们在新疆地区没有制造商。” |
| She added, “Since entering the U.S. market in 2012, Shein has been compliant with U.S. tax and customs laws.” |
| 她还说，“自2012年进入美国市场以来，Shein一直遵守美国的税收和海关法律。” |
| Background: The U.S. is becoming more critical of Chinese companies. |
| 背景：美国对中国企业的批评越来越严厉。 |
| A second bill, introduced Wednesday, is the latest sign of the U.S. government seeking to assert more oversight on companies with ties to China. |
| 周三提出的第二项法案是美国政府寻求对与中国有联系的公司加强监管的最新迹象。 |
| That legislation, sponsored by Senators Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, and Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, called for barring Chinese companies from using the de minimis rule and requiring more information on packages that enter the United States. |
| 该法案由路易斯安那州共和党参议员比尔·卡西迪和威斯康星州民主党参议员塔米·鲍德温发起，呼吁禁止中国公司使用低额豁免规则，并要求进入美国的包裹提供更多信息。 |
| In March, U.S. lawmakers questioned TikTok’s chief executive for five hours about the platform’s ties to China. Other companies, like the e-commerce retailer Temu, have also faced scrutiny about their ties to the country. This month, Mr. Rubio sent a letter to other lawmakers warning them of Shein’s business practices and lobbying efforts. |
| 今年3月，美国议员就Tiktok平台与中国的关系，对TikTok的首席执行官进行了五个小时的质询。电子商务零售商Temu等其他公司也因与中国的关系而面临审视。本月，卢比奥致信其他议员，提醒他们注意Shein的商业行为和游说活动。 |
| In 2016, when the rule was last adjusted, “people were less concerned about China then than they are now,” said William Reinsch, senior adviser at Kelley, Drye & Warren and former president of the National Foreign Trade Council. |
| 2016年，也就是该规则上一次做调整的时候，“当时人们对中国的担忧程度不如现在，”凯利、德莱和沃伦律师事务所高级顾问、前美国国家对外贸易委员会主席威廉·赖因施说。 |
| What’s Next: The bills are a long way from passage. |
| 接下来会发生什么：这些法案距离通过还有很长的路要走。 |
| The two bills need to be considered separately in the House and Senate, and are likely to face a long road to passage. |
| 两项法案需要分别在两院进行审议，可能会面临漫长的通过之路。 |
| In recent months, Shein has gone on the charm offensive, becoming more vocal about its sustainability practices and its work with independent designers — two areas where it faces lots of questions. |
| 近几个月来，Shein一直在进行魅力攻势，在可持续发展实践与独立设计师的合作方面更多发声——它在这两个领域面临很多质疑。 |
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