紐時賞析／打壓陸進口小額豁免資格？美關稅新規 恐顛覆零售業典範轉移

New Tariff Rules Could Reverse a 'Paradigm Shift' in Retail

美關稅新規 可能顛覆零售業典範轉移

Major U.S. retailers including Amazon and Walmart have been quietly exploring shifting toward a business model that would ship more goods directly to consumers from Chinese factories and require fewer U.S. workers in retail stores and logistics centers.

包括亞馬遜、沃爾瑪等主要美國零售商，一直默默探索轉向一種新商業模式，由中國大陸工廠直接向消費者運送更多商品，減少零售店與物流中心的美國勞工數。

The plans have been driven by the rocketing popularity of Chinese e-commerce platforms including Shein and Temu, which have won over consumers with their low prices. These platforms ship inexpensive products directly to consumers’ doorsteps, allowing them to bypass U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, along with the hefty costs associated with brick-and-mortar stores, warehousing and distribution networks.

這項計畫是因中國電子商務平台的快速普及而推動，Shein、Temu等平台以低價獲得消費者青睞。這些平台將廉價商品直接送到消費者家門口，讓他們得以繞過美國對大陸產品課徵的關稅，以及實體店面、倉儲、配銷網的高額成本。

Rising competition from Shein, Temu and other Chinese companies is pushing many major U.S. retailers to consider shifting to a similar model to qualify for an obscure, century-old U.S. trade law, according to several people familiar with the plans. The law, known as de minimis, allows importers to bypass U.S. taxes and tariffs on goods as long as shipments do not exceed $800 in value.

熟知計畫的多名人士透露，面臨Shein、Temu及其他陸企激烈競爭，迫使許多美國大型零售商考慮轉向類似模式，以符合一項鮮為人知卻有百年歷史的美國貿易法，又稱為「小額豁免」，允許價值不超過800美元的進口商品免繳稅金與關稅。

But that trend toward changing business models may have been disrupted Friday, when the Biden administration abruptly moved to close off de minimis eligibility for many Chinese imports, including most clothing items. In an announcement Friday morning, the Biden administration said it would clamp down on the number of packages that come into the country duty-free using de minimis shipping, particularly from China.

但這項商業模式轉型趨勢周五可能被打亂，當天拜登政府突然採取行動，封鎖許多大陸進口商品小額豁免資格，包括大部分服飾品項。在周五上午的聲明中，拜登政府表示將限制利用小額豁免免稅進入美國的包裹數量，尤其是來自大陸的包裹。

The Biden administration’s changes will not go into effect immediately. The proposal will be subject to comment by industry before being finalized in the coming months, and some imports from China would still qualify for a de minimis exemption.

拜登政府這項改變並不會立即生效，提案在未來幾個月定案前，將由產業界討論，且部分來自大陸的進口產品仍符合小額豁免資格。

But Friday’s action may head off a change that has been looming in global retail. Amazon has been preparing a new discount service that would ship products directly to consumers, allowing those goods to bypass tariffs, according to people familiar with the plans. Even companies that preferred to keep their business models as-is — such as Walmart — have been forced to consider using more de minimis to compete.

但周五的行動恐怕會阻止全球零售迫在眉睫的改變。知情人士表示，亞馬遜正在準備一項新的折扣服務，讓商品規避關稅直接運到消費者手中。即使是像沃爾瑪這類傾向維持原本商業模式的企業，也被迫考慮利用更多小額豁免來競爭。

Walmart declined to comment. An Amazon spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the company was “always exploring new ways to work with our selling partners to delight our customers with more selection, lower prices and greater convenience.”

沃爾瑪拒絕回應。亞馬遜發言人則在電子郵件聲明，該公司「一直在研究與銷售夥伴合作的新方式，透過更多元選擇、更低廉價格與更便利的方式來滿足我們的客戶」。

文／Ana Swanson and Jordyn Holman　譯／江昱蓁

說文解字看新聞

【張佑生】

標題使用美國科學哲學家孔恩(Thomas Kuhn)1962年提出的「典範轉移」(paradigm shift)，延伸為行為或思維方式的巨大轉變(fundamental transformation)：The widespread use of social media represents a paradigm shift in the way we communicate.

美國針對中國進口的商品課重稅，進口商為了降低衝擊，想方設法繞過關稅，bypass尚有「越級」的意思：He bypassed the manager and talked directly to the owner.心臟繞道手術可以說heart bypass surgery.

在網路掛帥的年代，實體(brick-and-mortar)店面經營不易，最好能兼具：They have a Web site as well as several brick-and-mortar stores.

動詞片語clamp down on something是嚴打，我國央行日前祭出第七波信用管制打炒房引起疑慮：The situation could worsen this year as the government continues to clamp down on credit.