中國對蒙古銅煤加徵跨境運輸費

A reMote Chinese border town in the Gobi desert has slapped transport surcharges on copper shipments from Rio Tinto’s Mongolian Oyu Tolgoi mine, an attempt to pay off the town’s debts.

中國在戈壁沙漠的一座偏遠邊境城鎮對力拓(Rio Tinto)蒙古奧尤陶勒蓋(Oyu Tolgoi)礦運輸的銅礦加徵運輸費，試圖藉此償還債務。

But while Mongolians worry about earthly retribution, the Chinese territory of Inner Mongolia is worried about debt.

但就像蒙古人擔心可能的報復，中國境內的內蒙古也在擔心債務問題。

Gobi desert towns, like other local governments in China, are struggling with the legacy of massive infrastructure spending since 2008.

戈壁沙漠的部分城鎮與中國其他地方政府一樣，正努力應對2008年大量基礎設施支出留下的問題。

Transport charges on copper and coal introduced on Thursday at several border crossings in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia are mainly for the repayment of principal and interest of bank loans taken out for port infrastructure construction as well as port facilities maintenance, management and other normal operating costs, according to a provincial document published early last month, well before the Dalai Lama’s trip.

週四，內蒙古中國邊境上的幾個口岸對銅和煤的運輸收取費用，據內蒙古上月公佈的一份文件顯示（早在達賴喇嘛訪問之前），該費用將主要用於償還口岸基礎設施建設以及口岸設施維修、管理和其他正常運營費用所揹負的銀行貸款本息。

The increase in fees on copper concentrate crossing the border specifically benefits Urad Middle Banner, the township home to the Gants Mod crossing, the only post to handle copper from Oyu Tolgoi, the world’s largest copper deposit.

對銅精礦加徵跨境運輸費尤其有利於烏特拉中旗，這裏是內蒙古Gants Mod邊境口岸所在鎮，是處理全球最大銅礦奧尤陶勒蓋礦產的唯一口岸。

The document authorises a surcharge of 0.2 per cent of the value of copper concentrate shipments.

上述文件批准對銅精礦運輸加徵0.2%附加費。

At current prices the charge works out to about Rmb78 ($11.3) per tonne, or Rmb3,800 per truckload.

按照現行價格，每噸收費約爲78元人民幣（合11.3美元），即每輛卡車3800元人民幣，

That would work out to about $18.7m per year.

每年將達到1870萬美元。

The Mongolian government estimates the additional charges on coal will cost it 30bn tugriks ($12.2m) per year, an unwelcome extra burden as the country tightens its budget ahead of an estimated $1.8bn in debt payments due in the next two years.

蒙古政府估計煤炭的這一額外費用每年將產生300億圖格里克（合1220萬美元）成本，這是一個難以接受的額外負擔，因爲蒙古正收緊預算，未來兩年該國預計應付18億美元債務。

About half the country’s coal exports pass through Gants Mod.

蒙古的煤出口約半數要通過Gants Mod邊境。