VOA标准英语2013--US Jeans Manufacturers Fear EU Tariff Will Cripple Industry

 

US Jeans Manufacturers Fear EU Tariff¹ Will Cripple Industry

"I look at denim² kind of like wine," said Kim. "You know, you can have the same batch³ of grapes. How you treat, it how you process it, you can make completely different things."   

Like wine, the price of jeans varies widely.  A pair can cost anywhere from around $10 to more than $200. While most consumers cannot afford designer jeans, Kim says premium⁴ jeans set the style for the cheaper jeans most people can afford.  

"Like high fashion, you start in the runway, and there is almost nobody that wears these runway items," said Kim. "But what happens from there is that elements of that gets trickled⁵ down to contemporary fashion, mid⁶ fashion, and ultimately into mainstream⁷ fashion."

From the wash, to the fit and the fabric⁸ from Italy, every element figures into the price tag. And one more element makes premium jeans expensive.

“We produce in Los Angeles," he said. "So, as you can imagine, it’s not cheap to produce.”

Kim says consumers in Europe buy these jeans largely for the Made in USA label.  But, for some brands, that label may soon be extinct.

The EU recently imposed a 26 percent tariff on top of the existing 12 percent on imported American premium jeans for women.   

Three-quarters of the brands producing these jeans come from California.

Ilse Metchek, of the California Fashion Association, says the tariff could send jobs to other countries and impact the local economy.

"The companies will make their jeans in Mexico, in South America," Metchek said.

Peter Kim also warns the consequences could be dire⁹. 

“It’s just trying to decimate all of our business out here," he said.

American manufacturers fear other countries may see this as a golden opportunity to get into the premium jeans market.

For now, Hudson Jeans says it will absorb the tariff so consumers won’t have to pay more for their jeans. It will also continue making jeans in Los Angeles.  

At the same time, U.S. manufacturers hope that in upcoming talks between the U.S. and the European Union, leaders will find a fix for the high tariff on premium jeans. 

1 tariff   

n.关税，税率；(旅馆、饭店等)价目表，收费表

参考例句：

• There is a very high tariff on jewelry.宝石类的关税率很高。
• The government is going to lower the tariff on importing cars.政府打算降低进口汽车的关税。

2 denim   

n.斜纹棉布；斜纹棉布裤，牛仔裤

参考例句：

• She wore pale blue denim shorts and a white denim work shirt.她穿着一条淡蓝色的斜纹粗棉布短裤，一件白粗布工作服上衣。
• Dennis was dressed in denim jeans.丹尼斯穿了一条牛仔裤。

3 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

4 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

5 trickled   

v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动

参考例句：

• Blood trickled down his face. 血从他脸上一滴滴流下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The tears trickled down her cheeks. 热泪一滴滴从她脸颊上滚下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

7 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

8 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

9 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。