因更严格的转基因生物控制，中国贸易商取消美国玉米货物，改从乌克兰购买 [美国媒体]

China traders cancel US corn cargoes on tighter GMO controls, buy from Ukraine -sources

消息来源：因更严格的转基因生物控制，中国贸易商取消美国玉米货物，改从乌克兰购买

注：GMO 是“转基因生物 (genetically modified organism) ”的缩写。

【日期】2018年2月9日



BEIJING, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Some Chinese buyers have canceled corn purchases from the United States and switched to rival supplier Ukraine, as Beijing tightens controls on processing genetically modified strains of the crop, three trade sources and an analyst told Reuters.

2月9日北京路透社
三家业内人士和一名分析师告诉路透社：因为北京收紧了对转基因作物品种的控制，一些中国买家已经取消从美国购买玉米，转向竞争对手供货商乌克兰。

Any prolonged shift by one of the world's top corn importers would unnerve U.S. farmers as they prepare to harvest a bumper crop this year and could potentially mark a new front in trade tensions festering between China and the United States.

世界最大玉米进口商之一（中国）的任何长期转变，将会使美国农场主在准备今年获得大丰收时陷入焦躁，也可能在中美之间的贸易紧张加剧情况下潜在地制造一条新的战线。 

Chinese buyers late last year stepped up purchases of U.S. corn, which is mostly genetically modified, following a rally in domestic prices.

中国买家去年年底 加强购买大部分是转基因的美国玉米，导致国内价格上涨。

But the sources said it had become tougher for Chinese grain mills to get permits to process genetically modified corn this year, forcing some traders that supply them to instead turn to non-GMO shipments from Ukraine.

但业内人士称，今年中国粮食厂家要获得加工转基因玉米的许可，已经变得更加困难。这迫使一些供应中国粮食厂家的贸易商转向来自乌克兰的非转基因货物作为替代。

China's agricultural ministry did not respond to a request for comment, while the trade sources declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak with media.

中国的农业部没有对评论请求作出答复。同时业内人士不愿透露身份，因为他们没有获得授权与媒体沟通。

"Traders this year have been more inclined to buy corn from Ukraine as it is non-GMO and doesn't require the (processing) permit," said Cherry Zhang, analyst with Shanghai JC Intelligence.

上海汇易咨询有限公司的分析员Cherry Zhang说，贸易商今年已经更倾向于购买乌克兰玉米，因为它是非转基因的，不需要（加工）许可。

"Even some who had ordered U.S. corn canceled the orders and switched to Ukraine."

甚至一些已经下单美国玉米的贸易商也取消了订单，并转向乌克兰。

It was unclear how many shipments had been affected, but one of the sources, a senior trader in Beijing, said up to four cargoes totalling about 210,000 tonnes and worth about $40 million based on current prices had been canceled last month as end-users had not received permits to process GMO crops.

不清楚有多少货物受到了影响，但是消息来源之一，一名在北京的高级交易员说，因为最终用户没有收到处理转基因作物的许可，高达四笔货物，总计约21万吨，据当前价格约合4000万美元，上个月已经被取消。

"For March (delivery), some people had no choice, they had to wash out, but for April and May, they are still waiting (to see if their buyers get processing permits)," he said, using an industry term for canceling an order.

他说，“三月份（交付），一些人没有选择，必须取消。但四月份和五月份，他们仍然在等待（看他们的买家是否获得处理许可）。”用行业术语讲叫取消订单。

The development comes as Beijing broadly increases scrutiny of genetically modified imports. Last year, it toughened the application process for getting safety certificates for imports of GMO soybeans, delaying cargoes and curbing purchases.

此次变化正值北京广泛增加对转基因进口货物的审查。去年它（北京）强化了对进口转基因大豆、延迟货物和限制购买而获得安全证书的申请处理。

Ukraine accounted for about two-thirds of China's 2.83 million tonnes of corn imports last year, with the United States making up a quarter.

去年中国的283万吨进口玉米中，乌克兰约占三分之二，美国占四分之一。

Export prices from Ukraine have jumped on the higher demand, the senior trader said, rising by $20 since the start of the year to this week hit their highest since July 2016 at $180 per tonne .

这名高级交易员说，乌克兰的出口价格已经因为更高的需求而跳涨，从今年开始到本周增长了20美元  ，以每吨180美元的价格达到自2016年7月以来的最高（价格）。

"It is hard for U.S. corn to come in now due to the GMO issue. Getting the GMO processing permit is very difficult," said a corn trader in eastern China who canceled a U.S. cargo.

"I had only ordered 7,000 tonnes of U.S. corn, but had to cancel the order and turned to Ukraine," he said.

一位取消了美国订单的华东地区的玉米贸易商说，“因为转基因作物问题，美国玉米现在很难进入。获得转基因作物处理许可非常困难。”

他说，“我之前只订购了7000吨美国玉米，但必须取消这笔订单，转向乌克兰。”

On Sunday, Beijing launched an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation into imports of sorghum from the United States, fueling concerns in the industry that soybeans might be caught up in trade action.

周日，北京启动了一项对美国进口高粱的反倾销与反补贴调查。这加深了业界的关注。大豆也可能被牵扯进贸易冲突中。

(Reporting by Hallie Gu and Dominique Patton; Editing by Josephine Mason and Joseph Radford)

（Hallie Gu 和 Dominique Patton 报道；Josephine Mason 和 Joseph Radford 编辑）