Episode Details

A trade deal reached on Sunday between the United States and the European Union has sparked controversy among European officials, businesspeople and analysts — despite both sides hailing it as a step toward restoring "trade balance "and promoting fairer commerce.

美国和欧盟周日达成的一项贸易协议在欧洲官员、商界人士和分析人士中引发了争议，尽管双方都称赞这是恢复“贸易平衡”和促进更公平商业的一步。

At the heart of the debate is the deal's asymmetry: The US will lower tariffs on EU goods to 15 percent, while the EU has agreed not to impose additional tariffs on US products.

争论的核心是该协议的不对称性：美国将把欧盟商品的关税降至15%，而欧盟已同意不对美国产品征收额外关税。

French Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad described the agreement as "unbalanced", though he acknowledged it would "bring temporary stability to economic actors threatened by the escalation of American tariffs".

法国欧洲事务部长本杰明·哈达德称该协议“不平衡”，尽管他承认该协议将“为受美国关税升级威胁的经济行为体带来暂时的稳定”。

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, "We have thus managed to preserve our fundamental interests, even if I would have wished for more relief in trans-Atlantic trade."

德国总理弗里德里希·默茨说：“因此，我们设法维护了我们的根本利益，即使我希望在跨大西洋贸易中得到更多缓解。”

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the agreement "ensures stability" and that the 15 percent tariff level is "sustainable", especially if it is not added to previous duties.

意大利总理Giorgia Meloni表示，该协议“确保了稳定”，15%的关税水平是“可持续的”，特别是如果不将其添加到以前的关税中。

Olivier Blanchard, a Robert Solow professor of economics emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, called the agreement "completely unequal", saying the "asymmetric 15 percent tariffs are an EU defeat".

麻省理工学院Robert Solow经济学荣誉退休教授Olivier Blanchard称该协议“完全不平等”，称“不对称的15%关税是欧盟的失败”。

"When the law of the jungle prevails, the weak have little choice than to accept their fate," he