美国区域价值链规则的路径转向——以《通胀削减法》新能源汽车补贴条款为视角

The Shift in the U.S.Approach to Regional Value Chain Rule:From the Perspective of IRA Clean Vehicle Subsidy Clause

随着“经济民族主义”在美国的深化发展,美国参与国际经济的方式进入新阶段,即摈弃传统自由贸易协定构建区域价值链的规则路径,转而依托产业政策制定区域成分规则。当前,此路径主要体现于《通胀削减法》的新能源汽车补贴条款中。此路径转向的内在逻辑,除“经济民族主义”的经济逻辑外,还包含“安全优于效率”“价值观同盟”的政治逻辑,以及以单边规则重塑国际经济秩序的规则逻辑。此项区域价值链规则涉嫌违反WTO国民待遇、最惠国待遇及禁止性补贴等法律原则和规则。美国此举将建立新能源汽车产业的隐性与硬性贸易壁垒,加剧国际经贸规则的单边主义趋势。同时,加速相关贸易与投资流量向北美回流,扭曲全球价值链的高效分工体系。面对该规则的歧视性待遇,中国须积极运用国际争端解决机制,巩固提升本土产业链,加快新能源汽车产业的错位竞争与全球战略布局。

Under the guidance of economic nationalism,the international economic engagement of the U.S.has entered a new stage.While deviating from the traditional FTA approach of building regional value chain,the U.S.turns to a regional content rule based on industrial policy.This is currently exampled by the clean vehicle tax credit clause in the Inflation Reduction Act.The logics underpinning this shift by the U.S.include the economic logic directed by economic nationalism,the political logic of prioritizing security over efficiency and value-oriented alliance,and the legal logic of reconstructing international economic order with unilateral rule.This regional content rule is likely to violate the WTO principles and rules of national treatment,most-favored-nation treatment and prohibited subsidies.It will establish invisible and hard barriers to trade,increasing unilateralism in international economic and trade rules.In the meantime,it will accelerate the trade and investment flows back to North America,thus distorting the efficient division of labor in global value chain.Faced with the discriminatory treatment and challenge of this rule,China must actively utilize the international dispute resolution mechanism,and in the meantime,consolidate and upgrade the local industry chain,as well as accelerate the dislocated competition and global strategic layout of EV industry.