大公文匯網報道，3月20日，外交部駐香港特派員公署特派員崔建春在《南華早報》發表題為《加徵關稅難治痼疾 貿易保護損人害己》的署名文章，揭批美加徵關稅錯誤行徑，指出芬太尼危機是美內生「毒瘤」，讓別人吃藥不能解決問題，強調美加徵關稅不僅將自食「迴旋鏢」苦果，還會禍及全球經濟。文章19日亦在該報網頁版刊登。全文如下：
加徵關稅難治痼疾 貿易保護損人害己
近期，美國政府不顧各方反對，對世界各國揮舞關稅大棒，搞起「無差別攻擊」。美更以中國未能採取足夠措施解決芬太尼問題為由，宣布對包括香港在內的中國輸美產品共加徵20%的關稅。明眼人都看得出，此舉不過是美為轉移國內矛盾的政治操弄，是典型的貿易霸凌主義，嚴重挑釁國際經貿秩序。
芬太尼危機是美社會治理失靈的內生「毒瘤」，讓別人吃藥不能解決問題。美國是當今世界最大的阿片類藥物消費國，其人口不到世界人口的5%，卻消耗了全球80%的阿片類藥物。僅2023年，就有約7.4萬美國人因吸食含有芬太尼的混合藥物而死亡。這場公共衞生災難源於美國自身「止痛藥文化」。多年來，阿片類止痛藥在美國醫藥行業的推動下大行其道，對其監管卻遠遠落後。美要徹底根治芬太尼危機，必須內病內治，而不是推諉他國。
中國從未向北美地區出口過芬太尼類藥品，但仍本着人道主義精神，於近年應美方要求為其解決芬太尼問題提供積極支持。2019年，中國便在全球率先整類列管芬太尼類物質。2024年，美國國務院在其發布的《國際禁毒戰略報告》中承認「自中國整類列管後，幾乎沒有發現從中國進入美國的芬太尼或芬太尼類似物。」面對中方積極善意的舉動，美方卻以芬太尼問題為藉口對華加徵關稅，純屬以怨報德。
美國將自食關稅「迴旋鏢」苦果。美國人只要翻翻自己的經濟學教科書，就不難發現提高關稅的最大受害者是本國消費者和進口商。美加徵關稅必然推高進口商品價格，美消費者和進口零部件、最終產品的企業都將不得不為此買單，否則為何美國零售巨頭沃爾瑪近日要求中國供貨商降價？加徵關稅終將導致生活和生產成本上升、通脹加劇，甚至引發市場對美經濟衰退前景的嚴重擔憂。美國股市近日經歷大幅波動，摩根士丹利、高盛等金融機構相繼調低對美國今年經濟增長預測，美國經濟正被關稅反噬的陰影籠罩。
美政府期待以加徵關稅解決長期貿易赤字、恢復製造業則是打錯了算盤。事實是，自美國2018年發動貿易戰後，美國際貿易逆差不減反升，2017年到2024年期間的貿易逆差大漲了50%。至於製造業的發展，涉及產業鏈、人才、成本等多種因素，美國早已優勢不再，積重難返，關稅「保護」於事無補。
美國打關稅戰禍及全球經濟。在高度全球化的今天，美以加徵關稅為手段到處施壓必將引起各國反彈，嚴重打擊國際貿易體系。不僅中國，歐盟、加拿大、墨西哥等也紛紛表明要採取貿易反制措施。這不禁令人想起1930年美國通過《斯穆特-霍利關稅法》，大幅提高關稅，其後各國紛紛相互報復，終使全球貿易遭受重創，導致世界經濟在「大蕭條」陰影中徘徊了十年之久。世界銀行稱，如美今年實施10%的全面關稅，且其貿易夥伴選擇報復，全球經濟增長將減少0.3個百分點。作為世界上最大的發達國家，美國應當為世界經濟健康穩定發展作出積極貢獻，而不是動輒把關稅作為武器，大搞單邊主義和保護主義，把世界經濟再次推向「大蕭條」風險。
美將對華加徵關稅措施同樣適用於香港，此舉無視香港作為世界貿易組織單獨關稅區地位，嚴重違反了世貿組織規則。我相信，在中央政府大力支持下，在「一國兩制」制度優勢根本保障下，香港完成有底氣、有能力、有智慧應對這場風暴，實現自身更高質量發展。
事實證明，美國的貿易戰不得人心，也不會有贏家。除了美政府和個別行業，各國政府和幾乎所有國際主流媒體、經濟學家都反對美國發動貿易戰。美方應吸取教訓、改弦易轍，盡早撤銷對華加徵關稅，推動中美經貿關係重回正軌，讓中美兩艘巨輪沿着穩定、健康、可持續發展的航線不斷前行。中方從來都不願打「關稅戰」「貿易戰」，但如美方執意「開戰」，我們必將奉陪到底。
Rampant trade tariffs are no cure for the US’ fentanyl crisis
The US government, despite opposition from all sides, has slapped tariffs indiscriminately on countries around the world. Citing China’s alleged failure to take sufficient measures to address the fentanyl issue, the United States announced an additional20 per cent tariffon Chineseproducts exported to the US, including those from Hong Kong.
It should be obvious to any discerning observer that this move is political manipulation intended to deflect attention away from the US’ domestic problems, a typical example of trade bullying and a serious provocation to the international economic and trade order.
Thefentanyl crisisis a tumour in American society stemming from the US government’s own failure at social governance. Making someone else swallow bitter medicine won’t solve America’s problem. The United States is the world’s largest consumer of opioid drugs. Although its population accounts for only 4 per cent of the world’s total, it consumes more than 80 per cent of the global opioids.
In 2023 alone, around 74,000 Americans died after taking drug mixtures containing fentanyl. This public health disaster results from the US’ own painkiller culture. For years, under a push by theUS pharmaceutical industry, opioid painkillers became extremely popular, while supervision lagged far behind. To eradicate the fentanyl crisis, the US must address the root cause rather than shift the blame on to others.
Nevertheless, in line with the spirit of humanitarianism, in recent years, China has actively supported the US in addressing the fentanyl issue at its request.
As early as in 2019, China became the first country in the world to schedule fentanyl-related substances as a whole class of prohibited substances. In 2024, the US Department of State said in its International Narcotics Control Strategy Report: “Almost no fentanyl or fentanyl analogues have been detected directly entering the United States from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since the PRC implemented controls over fentanyl-related substances as a class in 2019.”
Despite China’s acts of goodwill, the US has used the fentanyl issue as an excuse to impose tariffs on China, repaying kindness with ingratitude.
The US’ tariffs will boomerang on itself. A quick glance at any economics textbook would reveal that the biggest victims of tariff hikes are domestic consumers and importers. US tariffs will inevitably drive up the prices of imported goods, forcing American consumers and businesses that rely on imported components and finished products to foot the bill. Why else would US retail giantWalmartbe demanding price reductions from Chinese suppliers, as has been reported?
Tariff hikes ultimately lead to higher living and production costs, exacerbate inflation and even spark serious concerns about the prospect of aUS economic recession. Recent sharp fluctuations in the US stock market, coupled with financial institutions like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs lowering their growth forecasts for the US economy this year, indicate that the US economy has been thrown into shadow by tariffs.
The US government’s expectation that imposing tariffs will resolve the country’s chronic trade deficit and revive manufacturing is a miscalculation. In fact, since the US launched its trade war in 2018, its trade deficit in goods has not decreased but rather increased, with the deficit surging 50 per cent between 2017 and 2024.
As for manufacturing development, factors such as supply chains, talent and costs come into play. The US has long lost its competitive edge in these areas, and tariff protectionism will not help.
The US tariff war harms the global economy. In today’s highly globalised world, the US’ use of tariffs as a tool to pressure other countries will inevitably provoke backlash and severely damage the international trade system. Not onlyChinabut also theEuropean Union,Canadaand Mexico have taken countermeasures or indicated they will do so.
This brings to mind the US’ passage of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act in 1930, which significantly raised tariffs and led to retaliatory measures by other countries, ultimately crippling global trade and worsening the Great Depression.
The World Bank has warned that a universal tariff of 10 per cent on US imports – an idea that was floated earlier – could reduce already lacklustre global economic growth of 2.7 per cent in 2025 by 0.3 percentage point.
As the world’s largest developed country, the US should contribute positively to the healthy and stable development of the global economy, instead of weaponising tariffs, engaging in unilateralism and protectionism and pushing the world economy to the brink of another great depression.
The US’ decision to impose tariffson Hong Kongas well disregards Hong Kong’s status as a separate customs territory within the World Trade Organization and seriously violates WTO rules.
I believe that with the strong support of the central government and the “one country, two systems” framework, Hong Kong has the confidence, capability and wisdom to weather this storm and achieve higher-quality development.
Facts have proven that a US trade war can produce no winners. Apart from the US government and a few sectors, governments around the world and almost all mainstream international media and economists oppose the US trade war. The US should change course and revoke the additional tariffs on China as soon as possible so as to steer China-US economic and trade relations back on track.
China has never wanted a tariff war or trade war, but if the US insists on starting one, we will certainly see it through to the end.
