韓美兩國接近就匯率操縱問題達成協議

The US is moving towards an arrangement with South Korea to crack down on currency manipulation and bolster transparency in foreign exchange practices, Trump administration officials said as they gave details of revisions to their free trade agreement.

特朗普(Trump)政府官員在詳細說明對美韓自由貿易協議的修訂時表示，美國即將與韓國就打擊匯率操縱、提高外匯操作透明度達成一項協議。

However the currency deal, which is being negotiated between the US Treasury and Korea’s Ministry of Strategy and Finance, will not form part of the nations’ broader free-trade agreement, commonly known as Korus, and will not be subject to enforcement mechanisms.

不過，美國財政部(US Treasury)和韓國企劃財務部(Ministry of Strategy and Finance)正在磋商的這項匯率協議，並不是韓美範圍更廣的《韓美自由貿易協定》(KORUS)的一部分，也不受強制執行機制約束。

The talks came as the two countries agreed in principle to a revised trade pact that provides relief to the Koreans on steel tariffs as well as better conditions for the US auto industry.

與此同時，韓美兩國就修訂後的韓美貿易協定達成了原則上的共識。根據新的協定，韓國將享有輸美鋼鐵關稅豁免，美國汽車業將在韓國享受更優待的條件。

Donald Trump during the presidential campaign vowed to take a more aggressive approach on currency policies, including by vowing to name China a currency manipulator shortly after taking office. The administration subsequently ditched the latter policy, even as it vows to pursue foreign exchange mechanisms in trade negotiations.

在總統競選期間，唐納德?特朗普(Donald Trump)誓言要以更強悍的方式處理匯率政策，還發誓要在上臺後不久將中國列爲匯率操縱國。特朗普政府後來放棄了後一條，儘管它誓言要在貿易談判中討論匯率機制。

South Korea’s approach to currency has long been a bone of contention between the two countries, although the US Treasury has declined to formally label its ally a currency manipulator in its twice-yearly assessments of other nations’ policies.

韓國的匯率政策長期以來一直是韓美兩國的爭執焦點，儘管美國財政部在一年兩次的對他國政策的評估中拒絕將這個盟友標記爲匯率操縱國。

The proposed understanding between the two ministries would be a side-agreement to the two nations’ trade pact, not part of it. It would have the goal of preventing competitive devaluations and bolstering transparency in monetary operations being pursued. To arrive at enforcement mechanisms would have entailed legislation, officials added. In absence of that, the US would have to revisit the final agreement between the two ministries if the Koreans did not abide by it.

韓美兩國財政部之間擬達成的這項諒解將作爲兩國貿易協定的附加協議，而不是貿易協定的一部分。匯率協議的目標是防止競爭性貨幣貶值，提高貨幣操作的透明度。官員們補充稱，如果想要達成強制執行機制，就要牽涉到立法。在不涉及立法的情況下，如果韓國人不遵守，美國將不得不重新討論韓美兩國財政部達成的最終協議。

The side agreement comes as the US and Korea agree in principle to an overhauled version of their free trade agreement.

與此同時，美國和韓國就徹底修訂後的韓美自由貿易協定達成了原則上的共識。

The settlement follows months of negotiations after Mr Trump attacked Korus for undermining US jobs. Critically for Korea, the deal exempts the country from the tariffs that Mr Trump has vowed to impose on steel imports, with the two sides instead settling on quotas on sales of the product into the US.

韓美達成和解之前，兩國已經進行了持續數月的談判，原因是特朗普抨擊《韓美自由貿易協定》損害美國就業。對韓國而言至關重要的是，這一和解可使韓國能夠豁免於特朗普發誓要對進口鋼鐵徵收的關稅。雙方商妥改爲對韓國輸美鋼鐵產品實施配額制。