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Virginia-based Smithfield Foods, the world's largest processor of pork, recently announced that it was being bought by Chinese meat producer Shuanghui International for nearly $5 billion. |
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It is the biggest announced acquisition of a U.S. company by a Chinese buyer. |
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總部位於維吉尼亞州的史密斯菲爾德食品是全世界最大的豬肉加工廠,該公司近來宣布被中國肉品製造商雙匯國際以將近五十億美元併購。這是公開宣佈中國買家併購美國公司規模最大的案例。 |
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China is already the world's largest producer and consumer of pork. |
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In China, per capita pork consumption last year was 86 pounds, up from 70 pounds in 2002, said Mark Schultz, chief analyst with Minneapolis-based Northstar Commodity Investment. |
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By contrast, U.S. per capita pork consumption was 58 pounds last year, down from 66 pounds in 2002. |
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中國早已是全世界最大的豬肉生產國與消費國。中國去年的人均豬肉消費量為八十六磅,比二00二年的七十磅增加,馬克•舒茨表示,他是位於明尼亞波利的北星商品投資公司的首席分析師。相對之下,美國去年的人均豬肉消費量是五十八磅,較二00二年的六十六磅減少。 |
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Given these trends, the deal to acquire Smithfield seems to be a strategic long-term move by Shuanghui, said Schultz. |
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If pork consumption in China continues to rise, Chinese pork producers would have to look for alternative sources, he said. |
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Shuanghui's chairman said in a statement that the deal aims to expand Smithfield's products into the Chinese market. |
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在這些趨勢之下,雙匯併購史密斯菲爾德的交易顯然是一項長遠的策略行動,舒茨表示。中國的豬肉消費量若是持續成長,中國豬肉生產商就必須另尋來源,他說。雙匯董事長在一份聲明裡指出,這項交易的目的在於讓史密斯菲爾德的產品拓展進入中國市場。 |
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"China already produces an adequate supply of 470 million hogs a year versus about 100 million hogs in the U.S.," said Schultz. |
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"The question is how much more can you expand the production before you're limited by space and other issues." |
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「中國一年的豬隻供應量早已達到充足的四億七千萬隻,美國相對之下只有一億隻左右,」舒茨說:「問題是在受到空間及其他因素的限制之前,產量還能再擴張多少。」 |
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One such issue is risk of disease if pig farms are placed closer together to increase quantity, he said. |
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China's pork industry recently faced controversy when a farm admitted to dumping dead, possibly diseased pigs into a river. |
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Shuanghui itself was in the spotlight in 2011 when an illegal additive was allegedly found in meats produced by a subsidiary of the company. |
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其中一個問題是,養豬場一旦為了增加飼養數量而設置得更緊密,就有疾病的風險,他說。中國的豬肉產業近來就因為有一家養豬場承認將可能有病的死豬丟棄在河裡而備受爭議。雙匯本身在二0一一年也曾是爭議焦點,因為當時該公司的一家子公司生產的肉品,據說被發現含有違法添加物。 |