美国消费者对中国产品的需求回升

U.S. consumers are rediscovering their appetite for China's products, according to a senior shipping executive and a number of companies, but its slow comeback won't be enough to offset slumping European demand anytime soon.

按照某航运业高管和数家企业的说法，美国消费者开始恢复对中国产品的胃口，不过反弹的过程缓慢，尚不足以在近期内抵消欧洲需求疲弱造成的影响。

The comments by Neptune Orient Lines Ltd. President and Chief Executive Ng Yat Chung, as well customers and other shipping-industry observers, come as companies and economists closely watch conditions in a nation sometimes called the world's factory floor. Weak exports have exacerbated a slowdown in China's domestic economy, which in the third quarter grew at its slowest pace since the global financial crisis─7.4% from a year earlier.

新加坡东方海皇集团(Neptune Orient Lines Ltd., 简称NOL)的总裁兼首席执行长伍逸松(Ng Yat Chung)、该公司的客户以及其他船运业观察人士均提出这种说法的背景是，全球企业和经济学家正在密切注视中国这个曾被称为“世界工厂的国家的经济状况。疲弱的出口已经令中国经济减速的状况进一步加剧。今年第三季度，中国经济同比增7.4%，录得了全球金融危机以来的最低增速。

Last weekend, Chinese officials said September exports were up an unexpectedly strong 9.9% from a year earlier, bolstered in part by demand from the U.S. The results cheered some economists looking for a bottom for China's slowdown.

上周末，中国官员称9月份出口意外同比大增9.9%，部分原因是受到了美国需求的提振。这一结果令一些经济学家乐观预期中国经济增速放缓可能即将见底。

But in an interview on Thursday, Mr. Ng said 'exports from this part of the world have fallen off a cliff, mainly due to demand problems in Europe, and I don't see that turning around any time soon.' Neptune Orient owns APL, one of the world's largest container-shipping companies and a key mover of goods from China and elsewhere to European and U.S. markets.

不过在本周四的一次采访中，伍逸松说：中国的出口已经跌入深谷，主要原因在于欧洲的需求出了问题，我认为这种情形不会在短期内出现逆转。NOL拥有APL，APL是全球最大的集装箱运输公司之一，也是中国和其他国家货物销往欧美市场的一个主要运输方。

Speaking on the sidelines of a shipping-industry conference in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, he said improving consumer sentiment in the U.S. 'is certainly helpful' and that volumes in recent months have looked better than expected.

伍逸松在中国深圳举办的一次船运行业会议的间歇说，提高美国消费者的消费热情当然会有帮助，而且近几个月的出口数据已经好于预期。

Still, that could shift quickly, he said, adding, 'consumers can be fickle, so to what extent the U.S. government addresses the so-called fiscal cliff issue is going to have a material impact.'

不过他接着说，这种情况要变起来的话也很快，消费者非常善变，因此，美国政府能在何种程度上解决所谓的“财政悬崖(fiscal cliff)问题将产生重大影响。

Another shipping company, Orient Overseas Container Line, sees some North American growth 'even though the economy has not fully recovered in the U.S.,' said Stephen Ng, director of trades. 'It's coming back in slow manner.' The company is an arm of Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas (International) Ltd.

另外一家航运公司──东方海外货柜航运有限公司(Orient Overseas Container Line)贸易主管伍绍裘(Stephen Ng)说，北美需求出现一定的增长，尽管美国经济尚未完全复苏。需求正在以一种缓慢的方式回升。该公司是香港东方海外（国际）有限公司(Orient Overseas (International) Ltd.)的一个子公司。

A number of makers of products from furniture to power tools in China said they saw promise in the uptick in U.S. demand.

在中国，从家具到电动工具等各种产品的生产商说，他们在美国需求的回升中看到了希望。

For Swedish home-appliance company Electrolux AB, shipments to North America are about 10% higher than forecast due to the resurgence in the housing market, said Bjorn Vang Jensen, vice president of global logistics. 'Our business rests on people buying new houses, renovating their old ones and replacing their current appliances,' he said. 'And in the US, all those are currently trending up.'

瑞典家电公司伊莱克斯(Electrolux AB)全球物流业务副总裁延森(Bjorn Vang Jensen)说，由于楼市的复苏，该公司向北美地区的发货量较预期高约10%。他说：我们的业务依靠的是人们买新房，翻修旧房，升级现有家电。在美国，所有这些方面目前都在回升。

HTL International Holdings, which makes leather sofas, said its export volumes to the U.S. have been increasing as the company reduces its dependency on Europe. In the first half of the year roughly 50% of its shipments were to Europe, compared with 60% last year. 'We're cautiously optimistic on the U.S.,' said David Macleod, logistics director.

皮沙发生产商华达利国际控股有限公司(HTL International Holdings)说，随着该公司减少对欧洲的依赖，它对美国的出口额一直在上升。今年上半年，该公司的产品有约50%发往欧洲，相比之下去年为60%。该公司物流主管麦克劳德(David Macleod)说：我们对美国持谨慎乐观态度。

Shipments for the Christmas season, typically made in August and September, has been mixed, said Alan Mctaggart, director of global logistics for Techtronic Industries HK. Its products include power tools, outdoor equipment like chainsaws and floor-care tools like vacuum cleaners and carpet washers.

创科实业有限公司(Techtronic Industries HK)全球物流主管麦克塔格特(Alan Mctaggart)说，圣诞季的发货情况（通常在8月和9月）参差不齐。该公司产品包括电动工具、电锯等户外设备以及吸尘器和地毯清洗机等地板护理用具。

He said most of the Christmas shipments for Europe have gone already, and ships were 'quite light in the water at the moment.' But U.S. trade is holding up better, he said.

他说，该公司圣诞季要发往欧洲的大部分产品都已经发货了，目前船还很轻。但他说，美国贸易情况更好。

'We are budgeting increased volumes in the States, at least over 5% growth to the U.S. going forward, whereas a lot of people are targeting flat or zero percent growth to the U.S.,' he said.

他说：我们正在为美国发货量的增加而安排预算，未来美国需求至少会有5%以上的增长，而很多人认为美国需求将是零增长。