The World Trade Organization is set Tuesday to condemn China for limiting its exports of major raw materials, rebuffing Beijing's arguments that curbs are necessary to protect the environment, according to trade diplomats and lawyers.

　　据负责贸易事务的外交官和律师透露，世界贸易组织(WTO)准备周二宣布中国限制主要原材料出口的做法违规，驳回中国政府所称的有必要为保护环境而限制出口的说法。

　　The decision will help steelmakers and other industrial producers, but, more importantly, will set a precedent for the U.S. and the European Union to file another complaint against China over its quotas on the export of rare-earth materials, 17 minerals used in the high-tech industry.

　　世贸组织的这一决定将有益于钢铁制造商和其它工业品生产商，但更重要的是，将为美国和欧盟投诉中国稀土材料的出口配额开创先例。稀土是17种金属元素的合称，为高科技产业不可缺少的原材料。

　　The raw-materials case 'is more a political issue than a trade issue,' said Magnus Ericsson, a senior partner with Raw Materials Group, a consultancy based in Solna, Sweden.

　　Reuters在世贸组织框架下，中国现在可就原材料的裁决进行上诉。上图为去年，一名工人在山西太原的钢铁市场。位于瑞典索尔纳的咨询公司原材料集团公司(Raw Materials Group)的高级合伙人孟瑞松(Magnus Ericsson)说，原材料案更多的是政治问题，而不是贸易问题。

　　The U.S., the EU and Mexico filed their complaint on raw materials in 2009. China and the West have faced off in recent years on issues ranging from the pirating of Hollywood movies to whether the U.S. can penalize Chinese companies for receiving state subsidies.

　　美国、欧盟和墨西哥曾于2009年就中国原材料问题向世贸组织投诉。中国和西方近年来在一系列问题上展开了正面交锋，这其中既包括好莱坞的电影盗版，也包括美国能否对获得国家补贴的中国企业进行处罚等。

　　Under WTO law, China now can appeal the decision on raw materials. If it doesn't, or if it loses its appeal, it must remove its export restrictions or face retaliatory trade sanctions from the three complainants.

　　在世贸组织框架下，中国现在可就原材料的裁决进行上诉。而如果不这么做或上诉失败，中国则必须取消出口限制，或面临来自三个投诉方的报复性贸易制裁。

　　China pledged to get rid of export controls when it joined the WTO in 2001. However, the financial crisis has increased pressure on all countries to retain as much of their raw materials as possible, and Beijing has gradually returned to clamping down on exports.

　　2001年加入世贸组织时，中国曾承诺取消出口控制。然而，金融危机让所有国家都感受到了更大的压力，都希望尽可能多地保留本国原材料，中国政府也逐渐恢复了对原材料出口的限制。

　　That matters. China is the No. 1 producer in the world of cadmium, gold, indium, iron ore, lime, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, phosphate, tin, tungsten and zinc.

　　中国的这种做法事关重大。中国是世界上镉、黄金、铟、铁矿石、石灰、铅、锰、汞、钼、磷、锡、钨和锌的最大生产国。

　　It has consistently cut exports of these minerals. 而中国却在持续削减这些矿产的出口。

　　Chinese exports of phosphorus─used to make matches, but also herbicide and other chemicals─fell to 39,665 tons in 2010, from 102,346 tons in 2005, according to Global Trade Information Services, a Geneva-based trade company.

　　据总部设在日内瓦的世界贸易信息服务股份公司(Global Trade Information Services)的统计，中国出口的磷已从2005年的102,346吨降到2010年的39,665吨。磷可用来制造火柴、除草剂和其它化学品。

　　In a letter sent to the U.S. Trade Representative's office this year, U.S. steel lobbies accused China of again cutting its export quota for bauxite to 830,000 tons in 2011, from 930,000 tons in 2010.

　　美国钢铁行业游说团体今年致信美国贸易代表办公室，指责中国再次削减矾土出口配额，从2010年的93万吨下调至2011年的83万吨。

　　After its three trading partners complained, China invoked the WTO's Article 20, which allows its 153 members to limit exports for reasons such as environmental protection.

　　多国向中国施压，敦促其放开原材料出口。与此同时，日本勘探人员在太平洋海底新发现了大规模的稀土金属矿藏。《华尔街日报》的Alex Frangos与Andrew LaVallee对以上热点话题进行了讨论。在三个贸易伙伴提出申诉之后，中国援引了WTO第20条。这一条款允许WTO的153个成员以环境保护等理由限制出口。

　　The WTO has rejected that argument, said trade diplomats and lawyers familiar with the case.

　　了解此案的贸易外交人士和律师说，WTO驳回了这一主张。

　　The victory will pave the way for a case on rare earths, said U.S. and EU trade officials.

　　美国和欧盟贸易官员说，这一胜利将为他们在稀土问题上提起申诉铺平道路。

　　The raw-materials case 'will considerably strengthen the position of the European Union' for a case on raw earths, EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht said in a speech at a recent conference on raw materials in Brussels.

　　欧盟贸易专员德古特(Karel De Gucht)最近在布鲁塞尔一个原材料论坛上发表讲话说，原材料案将大大增强欧盟在稀土问题上提出申诉的有利地位。

　　Rare-earth minerals, which are essential to many industrial applications, have become a special problem. China has some 30% of the world's supply but is responsible for more than nine-tenths of the world's exports.

　　对于很多工业应用都至关重要的稀土矿，已经成为一个特殊问题。中国占世界稀土供应量的30%左右，但占了全世界逾九成的稀土出口。

　　Analysts such as Mr. Ericsson said that the rest of the world will soon catch up, as companies in the West reopen old mines.

　　埃里克森等分析人士说，随着西方企业重开旧矿，世界其他地区将很快赶上。

　　That will take a decade or so and will eventually secure steady supplies, he said.

　　他说，这将需要10年左右时间，最终将会形成稳定供应。

　　But for now Chinese rare earths 'are crucial to global supply,' he said.

　　但他说，暂时来看，中国稀土对于全球供应是至关重要的。

　　Meanwhile, China is gobbling up raw materials from all around the world. It now imports roughly half of all iron ore traded around the world.

　　与此同时，中国正在快速消耗全世界的原材料。目前它所进口的铁矿石约占全世界铁矿石贸易总量的一半。

　　Imports of all ores, slag and ash grew to $108 billion in 2010, from $25.9 billion in 2005.

　　矿石、矿渣和矿粉进口总额，已从2005年的259亿美元增至2010年的1,080亿美元。

　　The EU said that, for legal reasons, it couldn't comment on the case until after the final report was issued Tuesday.

　　欧盟方面说，由于法律方面的原因，要等最终报告于周二发布之后它才能评论此案。

　　A senior official at the Ministry of Commerce's news office said it would make a comment in the next couple of days.

　　美国商务部(Ministry of Commerce)新闻办公室一位高级官员说，该部将在接下来几天发表评论。