作者：威尔·库布赞斯基、詹妮弗·A·德卢希与阿里·纳特。分析人士指出，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普下令允许卡车司机使用原本仅供拖拉机及拖网渔船使用的柴油，此举短期内难以有效降低燃油价格。
By Will Kubzansky, Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Ari Natter US President Donald Trump’s order allowing truckers to burn diesel normally reserved for tractors and trawlers won’t do much to immediately lower fuel prices, analysts said.
周一公布的这项举措旨在暂时允许卡车及其他公路运输车辆使用免税的非道路用柴油，从而缓解居高不下的油价压力。
The move announced Monday seeks to ease sky-high pump prices by temporarily allowing tax-free, off-road diesel to be used in 18-wheelers and other highway vehicles.
这种非道路用柴油被染成红色，以区别于每加仑需缴纳24.4美分联邦税的普通柴油。由于波斯湾及俄罗斯地区的战争影响，零售柴油价格大幅上涨，近期已突破每加仑6.50美元，特朗普试图借此措施平抑油价。
The off-road version of the fuel is dyed red to set it apart from clear diesel that’s federally taxed at a rate of 24.4 cents a gallon. Trump is trying to tame retail diesel prices that have soared on the backs of wars in the Persian Gulf and Russia, and recently topped $6.50 a gallon.
这项行政命令发布之际，距离中期选举仅剩不到一个月时间，而选举结果可能决定共和党在国会的控制权。高昂的能源成本及整体物价水平已成为选民最为关切的问题。
The Republican president’s executive order also comes less than a month before crucial midterm elections that may imperil GOP control of Congress. High energy costs and affordability writ large have morphed into major concerns among voters.
通过引入红色柴油来缓解柴油供应紧张局面的实际障碍在于：目前尚不确定相关税收义务是被免除还是仅被暂缓执行。据知情人士透露，白宫希望这一价格优惠能长期维持。
The practical barriers to easing the diesel crunch by injecting dyed supplies include uncertainty about whether tax obligations will be waived or merely postponed. The White House intends for the savings to be permanent, according to people familiar with the situation.
此外，据彭博经济研究指出，全美大多数卡车加油站并不储备红色柴油，且目前尚不清楚这些加油站需要多长时间、以何种成本才能采购到该燃料。
Another issue is that most truck stops across the country don’t stock red diesel and it’s unclear how long and at what cost they could acquire it, according to Bloomberg Economics.
在税务相关问题得到明确解决前，部分燃油分销商暂未向公路运输客户提供红色柴油。美国财政部暂未对置评请求作出回应。
Until the tax implications are sorted out, some fuel distributors aren’t offering red fuel to on-road customers. The Treasury Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
“我们无能为力，”康涅狄格州燃油批发商Tuxis Ohr’s Fuel的总裁凯特·柴尔兹说道，“已经有客户打电话来询问，我们只能表示正在等待相关政策的明确说明。”据一位了解该公司决策情况但不便公开发言的人士透露，美国东海岸的一家加油站及卡车休息站连锁企业也决定在税收政策进一步明朗前暂不销售红色柴油。
“We can’t do anything,” said Kate Childs, president of Tuxis Ohr’s Fuel, a wholesaler in Connecticut. “We have had customers call already. We’ve said we’re waiting for clarity.”One East Coast filling station and truck stop chain is holding off on distributing red diesel until there’s further clarity on the tax regime, according to a person familiar with the company’s decision making who isn’t authorized to discuss company business publicly.
美国卡车休息站协会与美国能源营销商协会均已向旗下会员单位发出通知，称目前尚无法保证相关税收负担会被免除。
The National Association of Truck Stop Owners and the Energy Marketers of America have both advised member organizations that there’s no guarantee of the tax burden being waived.
“虽然零售端无需向消费者收取这笔燃油税，但这仍是零售商的法定义务，”美国卡车休息站协会公共事务副总裁蒂芙尼·弗拉兹洛夫斯基·纽曼解释道，“鉴于公路信托基金当前的资金状况，国会可能会也可能不会免除这一义务。对零售商而言，每加仑24美分的成本负担实在难以承受。”美国能源营销商协会则敦促会员单位“谨慎行事”，因为财政部尚未就特朗普行政命令的具体实施细则发布指导文件。
“Although it won’t be collected from the customer, the fuel tax would still be an obligation of the retailer,” said Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman, vice president of public affairs at NATSO. “Congress may or may not waive that obligation considering the current needs of the Highway Trust Fund. It’s a lot of risk to absorb that 24 cents per gallon.”The EMA urged members to “proceed with caution” because the Treasury Department has yet to issue guidance on the how Trump’s order will play out.
此外，各州层面是否存在禁止非道路用柴油在公路上使用的法规，以及各州州长是否会颁布豁免令，也都是亟待解决的问题。
There’s also the question of state-level policies that bar the use of off-road diesel on the highways, and whether governors will issue waivers.
不过，据知情人士透露，白宫正试图向业界保证：这些节省下来的成本不会被重新征收。
Still, the White House is attempting to assure industry players that the savings will not be clawed back, according to a people familiar with the situation.
华盛顿的政策变动往往较为迅速，尤其是涉及税收领域的调整，初期常引发业界困惑，各相关行业也会纷纷向政府官员寻求明确说明，这种情况并不罕见。
It’s not uncommon for rapid policy pivots in Washington, especially those involving taxation, to be met initially with confusion as stakeholder industries press government officials for clarity.
大型货运公司等大型柴油消费方或许会成为推广红色柴油的主力军——这些企业可自行采购柴油并添加染色剂。据彭博经济研究统计，红色柴油约占美国柴油消费总量的三分之一。分析人士指出，允许其在公路上使用预计也不会对汽油零售价格产生显著影响。
One possible route for adoption of red diesel might lie with large consumers, like major trucking companies, which can buy fuel and dye it themselves. Red diesel accounts for roughly one-third of US consumption of the fuel, according to Bloomberg Economics. Permitting its use on highways probably won’t have much impact on pump prices, analysts said.
“这一举措产生的影响可能十分有限，”Height Capital Markets的研究总监本杰明·索利斯伯里说道。“每隔三年我们都会进行同样的分析，得出的结论始终是：总统无法掌控燃油价格。”该协会的首席执行官托德·斯宾塞也表示，预计这一措施带来的缓解效果也微乎其微。
“The impact is probably going to be limited,” said Benjamin Salisbury, director of research at Height Capital Markets. “Every three years we go through the same exercise and come to the conclusion that presidents don’t control fuel prices.”The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association also expects the move to offer minimal relief, said Todd Spencer, CEO of the group.
“就直觉而言，我觉得这对运输公司来说并非一个容易做出的决定，”拥有40年行业经验的运输业前高管、Mullett Strategies公司负责人兰迪·穆莱特说道。“如果这项行政命令要求企业必须偿还相关费用，那就相当于要求企业去借一笔眼下未必需要的贷款。”
“It’s not intuitively obvious to me that this would be an easy decision for a trucking company,” said Randy Mullett, principal at Mullett Strategies and a former trucking executive with 40 years of experience in the industry. “If this executive order is you gotta pay it back it’s almost like saying take a loan now that you don’t potentially need.”