杀敌一百 自损一千？美众议院联名上书 呼吁取消加征半导体关税

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大部分从中国进口的半导体产品都是由美国半导体公司设计制造的，只不过是在中国进行组装、测试和封装等低价值流程，这部分产值仅占到最终产品价值的10%左右。美国企业的半导体设备和材料产业每年向全球出口价值240亿美元的产品，其中，向中国出口的比例约为20亿美元。

文｜Aki

校对｜乐川

图源｜集微网

集微网消息，2018年6月，美国贸易代表办公室（USTR）宣布，将对包括半导体产品在内的约340亿美元的中国进口产品实施加征25%。

当地时间7月27日，美国众议院领导人呼吁特朗普政府从对中国加征的关税名单中去除半导体及相关产品，避免这一类产品在未来几天或几周被施加高达25%的关税。

由49名国会议员组成的代表小组向美国贸易代表Robert E. Lighthizer递交了相关呼吁信，试图说服特朗普政府对半导体加征关税将无法打击中国的贸易，也无法实现政府的目标。相反的，这一举措更有可能伤害美国的企业和消费者。

美国行业组织半导体行业协会（Semiconductor Industry Association，SIA）也支持这一观点，并在不断敦促政府不要对半导体及相关产品加征关税。

国会议员在信中写道：“我们非常明白美国贸易代表办公室之所以加征25%的关税是针对中国政策的改变，也非常同意这一目标。但是，我们并没有看到对进口半导体及相关产品加征关税对这一目标有任何帮助。加征关税将不会影响中国企业，因为他们几乎没有半导体产品出口到美国市场。反而会损害美国企业的利益和创新。”

信中也强调，大部分从中国进口的半导体产品都是由美国半导体公司设计制造的，只不过是在中国进行组装、测试和封装等低价值流程，这部分仅占到最终产品价值的10%左右。因此，国会议员认为，加征关税并不是一个非常合理的措施，也不会对中国政府产生太多压力。

“中国正在实施一项高达1500亿美元的国家补贴计划（集微网注：大基金），实现持续的窃取专利、强制技术转让、国家并购以及反垄断制度的应用，最终实现保护主义的目的，从而建立自己的国产芯片产业。我们同意有必要解决这些问题，但是这并不意味着加征关税能够改变中国的这些做法，因为这一措施几乎对中国国内的芯片产业没有任何影响。”

部分议员签名

此外，信中还强调了半导体产业对美国经济的重要性，指出半导体产业雇佣了25万的美国员工，提供了近百万个美国就业岗位。美国的半导体企业约占全球半导体市场的一半份额和美国国内近19个州的制造业，这些都有助于半导体产业成为美国的第四大出口类别。

据了解，美国企业的半导体设备和材料部门为全球的半导体制造商提供必要的工具和材料，每年向全球出口价值240亿美元的产品，其中，向中国出口的比例约为20亿美元。事实上，美国是全球半导体制造设备和材料生产的领导者，占全球40%的市场份额，而美国公司在本国内生产的产品超过80%。

另一方面，中国是全球最大也是增长速度最快的半导体和设备消费市场。数据显示，2017年中国市场消费的芯片约占全球的32%，2018年设备采购费用占全球的17%，2019年将增长到25%，可谓增长迅猛。信中指出，美国应当在政策上公平的条件下帮助企业扩大市场，保护美国企业的知识产权，而不是通过关税，损害美国的半导体产业。

对于加征关税这件事，美国行业组织半导体行业协会（Semiconductor Industry Association）也表达了类似的担忧，强调对半导体及相关产品施加关税是错误的做法。SIA预估2017年美国自中国进口金额为25亿美元。在实施关税制裁之后，很有可能这25亿美元的产能全部转由美国本土承担。言下之意，美国半导体企业显然并不乐意承担“低价值制造产业”回归美国所带来的产品成本和人力成本上升。

SIA此前提交了一份文件，希望特朗普政府从一系列价值约160亿美元的中国进口产品中删除39种产品类别。在文件中，SIA表示，由于美国从中国进口的大部分半导体产品，都是在美国设计或制造，再运往中国进行测试和包装，因此，从中国进口半导体的统计数据具有误导性。

此前，据华尔街日报报导，美国贸易代表署办公室（USTR）自7月24日起就“总值160亿美元中国进口商品征收25%的关税事宜”启动为期两天的公开听证会。

SIA表示在听证会上作证，估计拟议的关税将影响从中国进口的美国半导体芯片约36亿美元及额外的27亿美元。也就是说，SIA建议从160亿美元的制裁清单中扣除63亿美元在美国本土设计和制造的半导体进口金额。

SIA对此次听证会表现出担忧：“关税将削弱美国的技术领先地位、导致工作机会流失并对美国半导体产品消费者和美国半导体生产商造成不利影响。”同时，美国国家零售业联盟（National Retail Federation，NRF）与65个商业团体在24日警告USTR，对中国进口产品征收关税不会产生政府所希望看到的结果。

此外，SEMI也曾提交了书面评论，并就关税对美国半导体行业的破坏性影响提供了证据。虽然SEMI强烈支持努力更好地保护有价值的知识产权，但这些关税无助于解决美国对中国贸易行为的担忧。相反，关税会通过增加商业成本，引入不确定性和扼杀创新来损害半导体供应链中的公司。

信件原文如下：

Congress of the United States

washington, dc 20515

July27,2018

The Honorable Robert E Lighthizer

United States Trade Representative

Office of the United States Trade Representative

600 17t Street NW

Washington, D. C 20508

Dear Ambassador Lighthizer:

We write to you to highlight the importance of the semiconductor industry to the u.s. economy, and to express our concerns with the proposal to impose tariffs of 25 percent on $6.3 billion in u.s. imports of semiconductor devices, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and related products from China. Doing so will not only fail to encourage China to address forced tech transfer and IP theft, it will adversely impact the semiconductor industry value chain in the United States. We urge you to remove all semiconductor products and semiconductor manufacturing equipment from the final tariff action and, importantly, devise more effective solutions to address China’s discriminatory and unfair trade practices in the semiconductor industry.

We share the Administration’s goal of maintaining a strong and growing semiconductor industry in the United States. Semiconductors are America’s fourth largest export, with a healthy trade surplus in devices of over 6 billion dollars in 2017, including a surplus with China. The industry directly employs approximately 250,000 workers in the U. S, with manufacturing operations in 19 states, and American semiconductor companies command approximately half of the global market.

The semiconductor equipment and materials sector, which provides the necessary tools and specialty materials to semiconductor manufacturers, exported more $24 billion worth of goods globally, and nearly $2 billion directly to China. In fact, the United States is the global leader in producing semiconductor manufacturing equipment and materials, holding about 40 percent of the global market share, with u.s. companies exporting more than 80 percent of what is produced domestically.

We understand that USTR"s goal with the proposed tariff action is to bring about policy change in China, and we agree with this goal. However, we fail to see how tariffs on imported semiconductor and semiconductor equipment can achieve that goal. Tariffs on semiconductors will not impact Chinese companies since they export almost no semiconductors to the u.s. market. Instead, these tariffs would harm U. S. companies and innovators. Most u.s. imports of semiconductors from China are designed and manufactured by U. S firms, largely in the United States, and then shipped to China for final assembly, test and packaging. This step in the semiconductor manufacturing process comprises approximately 10 percent of the value of the final product and does not result in the transfer of valuable IP. Similarly, imports of finished semiconductor tools are essentially non-existent. Rather, imports of relatively low-value/low-p components are incorporated into high value-added tools made by U. S. equipment makers and sold around the world.

In addition to misdirecting penalties at the u.s. semiconductor value chain, the proposed tariffs fail to provide the U. S with meaningful leverage to press China to change its behavior. As out lined in your Section 301 report, China is engaged in a colossal $150 billion state subsidy program, ongoing and persistent IP theft, forced technology transfer, state-backed M&A, and application of its anti-monopoly regime for protectionist purposes to build out its domestic chip sector. We agree that it is essential to address these policies but fail to see how tariffs on American chip firms will change these Chinese practices as they will not have any meaningful impact on China’s domestic chip Industry.

We call on the Administration to explore more effective and targeted policies, such as penalties for state-actors engaging in IP theft, WTO cases, and strengthened multilateral action with our allies to address the transfer of sensitive technology.

Semiconductors and their supporting supply chain are the bedrock of the digital and information economy and a key component of America’s technology leadership. Our response to the discriminatory practices found in USTR’s 301 report should be targeted, effective, and avoid jeopardizing America’s leadership in this important technology. China is the world’s largest and fastest growing market for semiconductors and equipment, totaling nearly 32 percent of the global market in 2017 for chips, and for equipment, 17 percent in 2018, and growing to 25 percent in2019. u.s. policies in this area must be properly focused on expanding access to global markets on fair terms and protecting our IP, while also avoiding harm to our own industry.

We look forward to working with you to remove semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and related products from the 301 tariff action, and to develop tough and effective remedies that are properly tailored to achieve our shared goals.

Sincerely,

END

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