As Trump embraces more tariffs, U.S. business readies public fight

 ［大意是］
　　超过60个美国行业团体组成一大联盟，势要与特朗普公开斗争是否纳中国关税，英国路透社9月12日报道称，针对美国总统特朗普的贸易关税举措展开的幕后斗争已持续数月，其升级程度远超业界想象，超过60个美国行业团体周三组建一个联盟，要将这场斗争公开化。
　　报道称，该团体将侧重于游说来自五个州的国会共和党人共同向总统施压，包括美国俄亥俄州、宾夕法尼亚州、伊利诺伊州、印第安纳州和田纳西州。
　　这个各行各业联盟包括具有代表性的美国最大规模的企业组织，譬如代表美国埃克森美孚石油公司和雪佛龙等最大规模炼油商的美国石油协会，以及代表美国第二大零售商塔吉特公司和第一大汽车配件零售商“汽车地带”等企业的零售业领军企业协会。
　　组成联盟的行业之一，美国船舶制造企业协会的高级官员瓦西拉鲁斯（Nicole Vasilaros）称：“很多其它利益团体认为，政府不会长时间如此或是做得太过分，但（关税的）分层效应最终还是让所有人都说：‘应该适可而止了’”。瓦西拉鲁斯指出，该协会会员企业正在考虑，在成本上涨达到35%后裁员。
　　另一联盟中的行业，美国信息技术产业理事会的总裁加菲尔德（Dean Garfield）称：“过去八周有大量游说活动，试图劝说总统和政府，向他们解释关税起不了作用，目前我们的看法是现在回头还不晚。”。信息技术产业理事会的成员包括美国微软公司、谷歌上属公司Alphabet以及苹果公司（Apple）。

   WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After months of waging a behind-the-scenes war against President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs that have escalated far beyond what business groups once imagined, more than 85 U.S. industry groups launched a coalition on Wednesday to take the fight public.
   
The launch of Americans for Free Trade comes as Trump increasingly warms to using tariffs. He has imposed levies on billions of dollars worth of goods on trading partners, prompting retaliation against U.S. exports.  
“A lot of other interest groups thought they wouldn’t go this long or go this deep, but the layering effect (of tariffs) has finally gotten everyone to say: ‘Enough is enough,’” said Nicole Vasilaros, the top lobbyist for the National Marine Manufacturers Association, whose members are weighing layoffs after costs rose as much as 35 percent.  
The campaign will be multi-facted and include television and digital ads in addition to encouraging voters to talk directly to their member of Congress about trade, an effort organizers hope will convince lawmakers to fight the tariffs.  
“There has been a lot of work that has been going on over the last eight months to try to persuade the president and the administration that tariffs are not going to work,” said Dean Garfield, chief executive of the Information Technology Industry Council, whose members include Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Apple Inc (AAPL.O). “Our view is that it’s not too late.”  
On the campaign trail, Trump threatened tariffs and ending participation in the Trans Pacific Partnership, a large multinational trade pact, and has delivered on those promises. He has also ramped up attacks on China, threatening car import levies and pushing for a more pro-American North American Free Trade Agreement, even at the risk of killing the three-country pact.  
Trump has imposed 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods, mostly industrial machinery and intermediate electronics parts such as semiconductors.  
A pending list of $200 billion worth of goods and the threat of another $267 billion would basically cover every Chinese export to the United States. Beijing has threatened retaliation, which could include action against U.S. companies operating in China.  
‘SUGAR HIGH’  
The coalition is a joint effort with Farmers for Free Trade and will target Republican members of Congress in five states - Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee. All are places where the tariffs could dramatically impact the local economies.  
While not engaging in electioneering ahead of Nov. 6 mid-term elections where control of Congress is at stake, it will urge constituents to discuss the trade issue with lawmakers, hoping they will convince Trump to abandon tariffs. The group believes the levies will undo the tax and deregulation policies that have helped boost the stock market and the economy.  
It plans to expand that effort to a dozen states by the end of the year.  
“The sugar high of the lower taxes and the reduced rules that have fueled the stock market since the president was elected are in jeopardy,” said Gary Shapiro, head of the Consumer Technology Association, whose members include IBM Corp (IBM.N) and Facebook Inc (FB.O) He warned that some of his members were also considering layoffs.  
The Americans for Free Trade coalition grew out of weekly meetings featuring industries organized by the National Retail Federation (NRF), whose members include Amazon.com (AMZN.O), Macy’s Inc (M.N) and Walmart Inc (WMT.N). Slideshow (3 Images)  
“This is almost every sector of the American economy involved,” said David French, the top lobbyist for the NRF.  
Hundreds of members of lobby groups have traveled to Washington to meet with lawmakers.  
“They all found it very amazing how our specific industry has so much product ... on the list and we were able to open up how that affects our industry as a whole,” said Tiffany Zarfas Williams who owns the Luggage Shop in Lubbock, Texas.  
Steve Pasierb, head of the Toy Association, whose members include Mattel Inc (MAT.O), Hasbro Inc (HAS.O) and Barnes & Noble Inc (BKS.N) said members of Congress were slow to be persuaded  
“It’s been this kind of slow build that got worse and worse and worse,” he said. “I don’t think anybody in D.C. saw this coming.”