中國海關退運美國轉基因玉米
China has blocked about a quarter of U.S. corn imports this year, the largest volume it has rejected, blaming the discovery of an unapproved genetically-modified strain.
今年中國已退運了約四分之一的美國進口玉米，退運量達到歷史最高水平，原因是在玉米中發現了未經批准的轉基因成分。A robust domestic harvest has allowed China leeway in returning U.S. shipments and to signal that it isn't letting up on scrutiny of foreign grain, even as policy makers debate whether to allow more domestic consumption of genetically modified food. Increasing demand has propelled China from being a net corn exporter to the world's fifth-largest buyer.
國內糧食作物的大豐收給中國退運美國玉米提供了條件，也使中國能夠發出這樣的信號：儘管政策制定者仍在就是否允許國內消費更多轉基因食品進行爭論，但中國並未放鬆對外國糧食進口的檢查。需求的增加已使中國從玉米淨出口國變成全球第五大玉米進口國。China's quality watchdog said Friday it repatriated 545,000 metric tons of U.S. corn because it contained MIR-162, an insect-resistant strain permitted in the U.S. and Europe but not approved by China's agriculture ministry. Beijing allows some transgenic corn strains for import to be used as animal feed. China's agriculture ministry said it is still evaluating the MIR-162 strain.
中國國家質量監督檢驗檢疫總局（簡稱：質檢總局）週五表示，中國已退運54.5萬噸美國進口玉米，因在這些玉米中檢出未經農業部批准的轉基因成分MIR-162（這一抗蟲害基因在歐美國家合法）。中國允許進口一些用於動物飼料的轉基因玉米。中國農業部表示，仍在對MIR-162進行評估。
Analysts say this year's rejection is a record-high volume of grain turned away from Chinese ports. No corn shipments were rejected last year and only a negligible amount was sent away in the last three years, said Zhang Yan, an analyst with the consultancy Shanghai JC Intelligence Co. Before 2010, China was a net corn exporter and bought only small and sporadic shipments of foreign corn, Ms. Zhang said.
分析師們稱，今年中國港口的玉米退運量創歷史最高水平。上海匯易諮詢有限公司(Shanghai JC Intelligence Co.)的分析師張燕（音譯）說，去年沒有玉米退運記錄，過去三年的玉米退運數量更是微乎其微。張燕說，2010年之前，中國是玉米淨出口國，只少量、零星地購買外國玉米。The tainted corn was found in 12 batches of U.S. shipments sent to ports in at least six provinces, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said. The agency said its quarantine bureaus have notified U.S. authorities and urged the U.S. to 'improve its inspection procedures.'
質檢總局稱，至少在六個省份口岸12個批次的美國進口玉米中發現了上述轉基因成份。質檢總局稱，各口岸檢驗檢疫部門已就此通報美方，並要求美方加強對輸華玉米的檢測。Syngenta AG, which makes the MIR-162 strain, called on China in an emailed statement Friday to update its laws to allow the strain. 'The solution is with the Chinese authorities,' a spokeswoman said. 'If they want to import corn from the major corn producing areas of the world they should synchronize their regulatory process so that they can accept the corn being grown in those regions.'
生產MIR-162轉基因的公司先正達公司(Syngenta AG)週五在通過電子郵件發表的聲明中呼籲中國修訂法律，認可MIR-162轉基因。該公司的一位發言人稱，解決方案在中國政府手中。如果中國想從全球主要玉米產區進口玉米，就應協調其監管程序，以便能接受這些產區的玉米。Traders worry the rejections may herald a slowdown in demand for exports to China. Chinese importers had lined up 3 million tons of U.S. corn imports by summer this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in August.
交易員們擔心退運可能導致市場對進口的美國玉米需求放緩。美國農業部(Department of Agriculture)曾在8月份表示，今年夏季中國進口商訂購了300萬噸美國玉米。However, an ample harvest in China may have blunted the country's need for the imports. State grain researchers say China's corn harvest this year of an estimated 215 million tons was likely a 5% rise over 2012, though the government hasn't disclosed the exact volume. Official data say China's total grain harvest, which includes corn, is up 2% from a year ago.
不過，國內的糧食豐收可能使中國的糧食進口需求減弱。國家糧食研究人員說，中國今年玉米產量估計爲2.15億噸，可能較2012年增長5%，不過政府還沒有披露具體產量。官方數據顯示，中國包括玉米在內的糧食總產量較上年同期增長2%。'There's the genetic modification issue, but a more realistic factor to consider is that domestic corn supply has been quite high lately, so there isn't quite as much a need for foreign supply,' said Rabobank analyst Pan Chenjun.
荷蘭合作銀行(Rabobank)分析師潘晨軍說，退運有轉基因的問題，但一個值得考慮的更現實的因素是國內玉米供應水平最近一直非常高，對外國玉米供應的需求沒有以前旺盛了。China imported about 1.5 million tons of corn from the U.S. in the first 10 months of this year, according to customs data. Senior government officials have warned that the country may face a rising corn supply deficit in coming years due to increasing demand from food-processing industries.
據海關數據顯示，今年前10個月，中國從美國進口了約150萬噸玉米。高級政府官員一直警告說，由於食品加工業的需求不斷上升，未來幾年中國可能面臨日益加劇的玉米供應短缺問題。The move comes as Chinese and U.S. officials begin trade talks Friday in Beijing at their Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade to address bilateral trade issues. The talks will likely address the corn trade, though it is uncertain if the issue would be resolved quickly, Ms. Zhang said. U.S. shipments currently account for 94% of China's corn imports.
退運恰逢中美商貿聯委會召開之際，中美官員週五在北京舉行的本次會議上開始貿易會談，解決雙邊貿易問題。張燕說，會談將可能討論玉米貿易，不過不清楚這個問題是否會很快得到解決。美國玉米目前佔中國玉米進口總量的94%。In recent months, the agriculture ministry has defended a trend of rising corn imports by arguing in a series of public statements that 'using domestic and foreign resources, and coordinating between the two markets, are an inevitable choice for China.'
近幾個月，中國農業部一直在爲中國玉米進口增加之勢進行辯護，該部在一系列的公開聲明中稱利用國內外資源，協調這兩個市場，是中國的一個必然選擇。Some military strategists have warned that Western nations could use genetically modified organisms, or GMO, as a strategy to undermine China's food security.
一些軍事戰略家警告說，西方國家可能利用轉基因生物作爲破壞中國食品安全的一種戰略。China is moving to diversify the sources of its corn imports. In recent months, it has struck deals with Argentina and Brazil to permit corn imports, including approved genetically modified strains for animal consumption, from these nations.
中國正在努力多樣化其進口玉米來源。近幾個月，中國已與阿根廷和巴西達成了協議，允許從這些國家進口玉米，包括用於動物飼料的核準的轉基因玉米。
