近日，美国贸易代表办公室发布声明，宣布将恢复352项自中国进口商品的加征关税豁免。美国此次对中国进口商品的关税豁免，说明了哪些问题？在此时推出豁免政策出于什么考虑？

Vessels loading cargo bound for the United States at a port in Rongcheng, Shandong province. [Photo by Yang Zhili/for China Daily]

The US decision to reinstate certain "Section 301" tariff exclusions for Chinese product categories sends a positive signal for benign interactions in bilateral economic and trade relations, which will help stabilize expectations for global supply and industrial chains, experts said on Monday.专家3月28日表示，美国决定恢复对“301条款”中涉及的部分中国进口商品的关税豁免，这为中美双边经贸关系的良性互动释放了积极信号，将有助于稳定对全球供应链和产业链的预期。

They said reinstating tariff exclusions on Chinese goods will help the US deal with rising inflationary pressure, reduce costs within global supply chains and benefit enterprises and consumers from both sides.专家称，恢复对中国进口商品的关税豁免将有助于美国应对不断上涨的通胀压力，降低其在全球供应链上的成本，并使双方的企业和消费者受益。

Wang Peng, a researcher at Huazhong University of Science and Technology's Institute for State Governance, said the US administration's attempts to decouple the two economies harm US consumers and enterprises, and US importers and consumers have absorbed most of the additional costs resulting from the additional tariffs on Chinese products.华中科技大学国家治理研究所研究员王鹏认为，美国政府试图将中美两个经济体脱钩的做法损害了美国消费者和企业的利益，而美国进口企业和消费者已经承担了美国对中国商品加征关税而造成的大部分额外成本负担。

Wang said the exemptions suggest that the US recognizes that the two nations have strong economic complementarity, and the decision will help create favorable conditions to expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation. "It will be good for the global economy."王鹏称，这次恢复部分中国商品关税豁免表明，美国认识到两国具有很强的经济互补性，这一决定将为扩大双边经贸合作创造有利条件，有利于全球经济发展。

Noting that the list includes consumer goods and industrial products, Xu Hongcai, deputy director of the China Association of Policy Science's economic policy committee, said the move will help the US alleviate high inflationary pressure.中国政策科学研究会经济政策委员会副主任徐洪才指出，此次豁免名单包括消费品和工业品，此举将有助于美国缓解高通胀压力。

Although the 352 newly announced categories only account for around one-seventh of the over 2,200 exclusions previously granted by the Trump administration, the reinstated exemptions are great news for Chinese industries, Xu said.徐洪才表示，尽管与特朗普时期2200多种中国商品获得了关税豁免资格相比，此次拜登政府批准的352种商品不过是其七分之一。但美国此举仍会给中国相关产业带来一定的利好预期。

Citing the USTR statement, Luo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities, said the US move aims to meet its domestic production and consumption needs as well as cushion the economy.粤开证券首席经济学家罗志恒引用美国贸易代表办公室的声明称，这份关税豁免清单旨在满足其美国国内生产和消费需求，同时缓冲经济。

Luo said US trade frictions with China not only harm the interests of US companies and consumers but also disrupt industrial and supply chains worldwide.罗志恒认为，中美贸易摩擦不仅损害了美国公司和消费者的利益，而且扰乱了全球产业链和供应链。

"The global economy is facing multiple pressures from COVID-19, high inflationary pressures and geopolitical tensions," Luo said. "The exemptions will help ease the risk of escalation of trade frictions and stabilize global industrial chains."“新冠疫情、全球通胀压力和地缘政治紧张局势，使全球经济面临多重压力，恢复对中国商品的关税豁免将有助于缓解贸易摩擦升级的风险，稳定全球产业链。”

He said the list covers over $60 billion worth of Chinese products, which accounted for about 12 percent of China's total exports to the US in 2021. "It will support China's exports in 2022, and it will also benefit Chinese manufacturing sectors in fields including mechanical equipment, home appliances and furniture.罗志恒说，这份清单涵盖了价值超过600亿美元的中国商品，占2021年中国对美出口总额的约12%。此举将有利于在今年提振中国出口，机械设备、家用电器和家具等领域的中国制造业也将因此受益。”

"For the US side, the exemptions will help lower prices of imported goods and thus ease inflationary pressure. As the list includes urgently needed parts and anti-pandemic materials, that will also help ensure the security of US supply chains," Luo said.罗志恒称：“对美方来说，这份豁免清单将有助于降低进口商品的价格，从而缓解通胀压力。由于清单中包括急需的零部件和防疫用品，这也将有助于确保美国供应链的安全。”

Wang Meiting, a researcher with the Bank of China Research Institute, said it is not easy for the US to find substitutes in a short time and thus the possibility of a further increase in tariff exclusions on Chinese goods cannot be ruled out.中国银行研究院研究员王梅婷表示，美国想在短时间内找到替代品并不容易，因此不能排除进一步扩大对中国进口商品的关税豁免的可能性。

Wang said the exemptions demonstrate China's key role in stabilizing global supply and industrial chains. "The reinstated exemptions are sending a positive signal to bilateral trade and even global trade. It showcases that the US prioritizes stabilizing the economy instead of containing China's development."王梅婷称，美国此举证明中国在稳定全球供应链和产业链方面的关键作用。“美国恢复对这些中国进口商品的关税豁免，向中美双边贸易乃至全球贸易发出了积极信号。表明美国优先考虑稳定经济，而不是遏制中国发展。”

Considering that the exemptions are part of a larger US drive to dampen inflationary pressure, Wang expects to see more steps to bring bilateral economic trade ties back to normal.考虑到美国此举是其为缓解通胀压力而采取的措施之一，王梅婷预计，美国将采取更多措施，可促使中美双边经贸关系恢复正常。