隨著美國(guó)總統(tǒng)唐納德·特朗普采取強(qiáng)硬手段擴(kuò)大貿(mào)易保護(hù)范圍,，從中國(guó)的鋼鐵,、加拿大的木材到西班牙的食用橄欖都列入盯防對(duì)象,，愛(ài)吃零食的美國(guó)人享受美食的機(jī)會(huì)將不可避免受到影響。

美國(guó)商務(wù)部正調(diào)查西班牙是否向美國(guó)市場(chǎng)傾銷(xiāo)橄欖,，西班牙橄欖口感溫和,，味道略偏干，主要用來(lái)做三明治,、沙拉和披薩,。支持本地區(qū)生產(chǎn)商的歐盟委員會(huì)已出手干預(yù)，歐洲大陸主要農(nóng)場(chǎng)游說(shuō)團(tuán)體也批評(píng)不斷,。

近日,在投票中,，美國(guó)國(guó)際貿(mào)易委員會(huì)一致通過(guò)，將與商務(wù)部同步展開(kāi)調(diào)查,。調(diào)查結(jié)束后,，今年晚些時(shí)候美國(guó)政府可能對(duì)西班牙產(chǎn)橄欖征收懲罰性關(guān)稅，可能導(dǎo)致進(jìn)口停滯,。

上述調(diào)查是美國(guó)擴(kuò)大貿(mào)易保護(hù)范圍的最新舉措,，其針對(duì)產(chǎn)品包括鋼鐵、鋁,，也包括乳制品,、木材和玉米，相對(duì)來(lái)說(shuō)食用橄欖市場(chǎng)很小,。但對(duì)西班牙這個(gè)全球最大食用橄欖生產(chǎn)國(guó)而言,，美國(guó)是最大的客戶，也是最重要的市場(chǎng),，對(duì)美出口量占橄欖總出口量的24%,。

歐洲生產(chǎn)商認(rèn)為，此番受調(diào)查針對(duì)很不公平,，美國(guó)農(nóng)場(chǎng)主則認(rèn)為西班牙是國(guó)內(nèi)產(chǎn)業(yè)的巨大威脅,。美國(guó)幾乎所有橄欖都產(chǎn)自加州，從加州成立之初就已有種植,。

“我的三個(gè)兒子都在種橄欖,，長(zhǎng)孫也有意繼承祖業(yè)，”69歲的加州種植園主丹尼斯·布勒森說(shuō),，“種橄欖是一種夢(mèng)想,。可現(xiàn)在我們對(duì)夢(mèng)想會(huì)不會(huì)成真已經(jīng)沒(méi)了把握,?！辈祭丈诩又萜婵剖懈浇N有4萬(wàn)棵橄欖樹(shù)。

上月美國(guó)商務(wù)部表示，將調(diào)查西班牙向美國(guó)出口的所謂熟橄欖是否存在低于合理價(jià)格傾銷(xiāo)行為,。當(dāng)時(shí)商務(wù)部部長(zhǎng)威爾伯·羅斯在聲明中提到,，美國(guó)“將迅速行動(dòng)，制止一切不公平的貿(mào)易行為,?！?

雖然橄欖市場(chǎng)比木材和鋼鐵小得多，但美國(guó)極為依賴進(jìn)口橄欖,。去年美國(guó)從國(guó)外購(gòu)買(mǎi)了16.7萬(wàn)公噸橄欖,，幾乎一半來(lái)自自西班牙，其他來(lái)源還包括希臘,、墨西哥和摩洛哥,。

該調(diào)查啟動(dòng)的原因是，今年6月美國(guó)熟橄欖公平貿(mào)易聯(lián)合會(huì)提出申訴,。該行業(yè)組織代表的兩家會(huì)員Bell-Carter Foods Inc.和Musco Family Olive Co.認(rèn)為,，過(guò)去幾十年里歐洲國(guó)家一直提供補(bǔ)貼，西班牙產(chǎn)橄欖才能在美國(guó)零售市場(chǎng)份額持續(xù)增加,，同期美國(guó)橄欖業(yè)銷(xiāo)售則加速下滑,。

美國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)僅有不到900家農(nóng)場(chǎng)種植食用橄欖，多家正在減產(chǎn),。布勒森的橄欖樹(shù)占地約162萬(wàn)平方米,，是規(guī)模較大的之一。八個(gè)月前,，他的橄欖種植面積也減少了十分之一。Bell-Carter Foods的首席執(zhí)行官蒂姆·卡特說(shuō),，這意味著,，加工橄欖的供應(yīng)量減少。Bell-Carter Foods是美國(guó)僅存的兩家橄欖加工企業(yè)之一,，半個(gè)世紀(jì)以前加工企業(yè)有20多家,。

“我們已經(jīng)走到生死關(guān)頭?！笨ㄌ亟邮懿稍L時(shí)說(shuō),。

對(duì)西班牙來(lái)說(shuō)，美國(guó)是最關(guān)鍵的市場(chǎng),。西班牙食用橄欖出口商協(xié)會(huì)Asemesa預(yù)計(jì),，如果美國(guó)采取限制措施，未來(lái)五年西班牙橄欖產(chǎn)業(yè)可能會(huì)損失3.5億歐元（約合4.14億美元）,。

Asemesa的秘書(shū)長(zhǎng)安東尼奧·德莫拉指出,，美國(guó)生產(chǎn)商希望通過(guò)起訴打擊西班牙進(jìn)口橄欖從而贏得競(jìng)爭(zhēng)，但最終會(huì)傷害美國(guó)消費(fèi)者,。他說(shuō),，本次起訴打擊的范圍不僅包括橄欖,，還令歐盟“統(tǒng)一農(nóng)業(yè)政策的基礎(chǔ)受到質(zhì)疑?！?

一位歐盟委員會(huì)發(fā)言人在回應(yīng)稱(chēng),，自美方起訴以來(lái)，歐盟委員會(huì)一直跟進(jìn)此案進(jìn)展,，向西班牙生產(chǎn)商提供法律支持,。該發(fā)言人稱(chēng)，“歐盟委員會(huì)已經(jīng)介入,，將捍衛(wèi)西班牙生產(chǎn)商遵循世界貿(mào)易組織規(guī)定向美國(guó)出口的權(quán)力,。”

28個(gè)歐盟成員國(guó)的農(nóng)民協(xié)會(huì)組織Copa Cogeca警告,，美國(guó)啟動(dòng)此項(xiàng)調(diào)查之后,，也可能在其他領(lǐng)域向其他歐盟貿(mào)易伙伴國(guó)動(dòng)手。

該組織秘書(shū)長(zhǎng)佩卡·佩松恩通過(guò)聲明表示：“Copa and Cogeca認(rèn)為,，美國(guó)作為歐盟農(nóng)產(chǎn)品主要出口市場(chǎng),，如果今后可以無(wú)正當(dāng)理由就對(duì)我們的農(nóng)產(chǎn)品采取保護(hù)主義措施，這是不可接受的,?！保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：Pessy

審稿：夏林

American snack lovers may find President Donald Trump’s tough-on-trade policies encroaching a little close to home as the U.S. widens its gaze from Chinese steel and Canadian lumber to Spanish table olives.

The Commerce Department is investigating whether Spain is dumping its olives -- specifically the mild, slightly drier black types used in sandwiches, salads and pizzas -- on the U.S. market. The move has prompted intervention by the European Commission in support of its producers and drawn criticism from the continent’s main farming lobby.

The U.S. International Trade Commission, which is investigating the claim in tandem with Commerce, voted unanimously to proceed with the inquiry. The investigation may result in punitive tariffs later this year that could pull the plug on Spanish olive imports.

The probe is the latest in a growing list of products being targeted by the U.S., ranging from steel and aluminum to dairy, lumber and corn. The market is tiny by comparison. Yet for Spain, the world’s biggest producer, the U.S. represents a crucial market as its top customer, accounting for 24 percent of the nation’s olive exports.

While European producers argue they’re being unfairly targeted, U.S. farmers see Spain as an existential threat to an industry that’s as old as California, where almost all U.S. olives are grown.

"My three sons are all farming olives, and my oldest grandson is interested too," said Dennis Burreson, 69, who cultivates 40,000 olive trees near Chico, California. "That’s kind of the dream, but it’s getting to the point where you don’t know if the dream will be real."

The Commerce Department said last month it was looking into whether the Spanish imports of so-called ripe olives are being dumped in the U.S. market at less than fair value. The U.S. "will act swiftly to halt any unfair trade practices,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement at the time.

While the olive market is much smaller than lumber or steel, the U.S. relies heavily on imports. The country bought 167,000 metric tons of foreign olives last year, almost half of which came from Spain. The U.S. also imports olives from countries including Greece, Mexico and Morocco.

The investigation followed a June complaint filed by the Coalition for Fair Trade in Ripe Olives on behalf of its two members, Bell-Carter Foods Inc. and Musco Family Olive Co. They argue that a decades-long industry decline has been accelerated by European subsidies that allowed Spanish olives to take more of the domestic retail market share.

Fewer than 900 table-olive farmers remain in the U.S., and many that are left are decreasing production. Burreson, who at 400 acres of trees is one of the larger farmers, pulled out 40 acres of olives eight months ago. That means less supply for processing, said Tim Carter, chief executive officer of Bell-Carter Foods, one of two processors still in business compared with more than 20 a half-century ago.

"This has become a matter of our survival," he said in an interview.

For Spain, the U.S. is a crucial market and the potential restrictions could cost the local industry 350 million euros ($414 million) within five years, according to exporters association Asemesa.

U.S. producers are using the complaint to try to eliminate the competition that the exports of the Spanish operators pose, which would hurt American consumers, said Asemesa Secretary General Antonio de Mora. The complaint also reaches beyond just olives, as it “calls into question the basic pillars of the common agricultural policy” of the EU, he said.

The European Commission has followed the case since the complaint was made and is providing Spanish producers with legal support, a spokesperson said in response to questions. "The European Commission is intervening to defend the rights of the Spanish producers to export to the U.S. in line with the World Trade Organization rules," he said.

The U.S. investigation could set a precedent for other sectors and EU trade partners, the 28-member trade bloc’s farming lobby warned.

"Copa and Cogeca consider it unacceptable that the main EU agri-food export market -- the U.S. -- can impose protectionist measures against our products without justification," the group’s secretary general, Pekka Pesonen, said in a statement.