埃莱奥诺尔·休斯，里约热内卢——巴西总统路易斯·伊纳西奥·卢拉·达席尔瓦的政府于周五宣布实施新的燃油减税政策，并延长现有补贴，旨在降低燃油价格。此时距离备受关注的总统选举第二轮投票仅剩两周多时间。
ELÉONORE HUGHES RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ’s government on Friday announced new fuel tax cuts and extended existing subsidies aimed at lowering fuel prices, just over two weeks before a closely contested presidential runoff.
燃油价格对选民而言是一个尤为敏感的问题。选民将于10月25日决定，是选举前总统雅伊尔·博索纳罗的儿子、参议员弗拉维奥·博索纳罗，还是给予卢拉第四个非连续任期。在周日的第一轮投票中，博索纳罗获得的票数比卢拉多约200万张。
Fuel prices are a particularly sensitive issue for voters, who will decide on Oct. 25 whether to elect Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, or grant Lula a fourth, nonconsecutive term. Bolsonaro received about 2 million more votes than Lula in Sunday’s first round .
一项新法令将取消对汽油进口和销售征收的联邦税，为期30天，并有可能延长。该措施自周五起生效，与先前减税措施到期日相同。同时，该法令还延长了乙醇的免税政策，并提高了相关补贴。
A new decree eliminates federal taxes on the import and sale of gasoline for 30 days, with the possibility of an extension. The measure is effective from Friday, the same day previous measures that lowered taxes expired. It extends a tax exemption and increases a subsidy for ethanol.
政府还表示，将向柴油进口商提供额外补贴，在30天内按每升1.40雷亚尔（0.28美元）的标准发放。这一金额是在现有每升2.12雷亚尔（0.42美元）补贴基础上的追加补贴。
The government also said it would provide an additional subsidy to importers of diesel, who will receive 1.40 reais ($0.28) per liter for a period of 30 days. This amount is in addition to the 2.12 reais ($0.42) per liter subsidy already in effect.
政府社会传播秘书处表示：“此举旨在确保在燃油供应的关键时期，进口仍能保持经济可行性。”该秘书处还补充说，这些措施符合政府自伊朗战争爆发以来所采取的战略。
“The aim is to ensure that imports remain economically viable at a critical time for fuel supply,” the government’s secretariat for social communication said, adding that the measures were in line with the strategy adopted by the government since the start of the Iran war.
此外，政府指出，这些措施带来的财政影响将由联邦政府石油资产的收入予以抵消。
The fiscal impact of the measures will be offset by the revenues from the federal government’s oil assets, it added.
2月底以色列和美国对伊朗发动战争后不久，原油价格便急剧上涨。这主要是因为冲突导致霍尔木兹海峡的大部分航运中断，而该狭窄水道在战前承担着全球约五分之一的石油供应。
Crude oil prices shot up shortly after Israel and the U.S. began their war with Iran in late February, largely because the fighting halted most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz , a narrow waterway where roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passed before the conflict.
政府表示：“自9月份宣布这些措施以来，国际局势已经恶化。”政府还补充说，国际柴油和汽油的炼油利润已上涨至战前水平的两倍多。
“The international situation has deteriorated since the measures announced in September,” the government said, adding that international diesel and gasoline refining margins had risen to more than double their pre-war levels.
巴西是重要的原油生产国和出口国，由于国际油价上涨，该国今年从该行业获得的收入大幅激增。然而，为满足国内精炼燃料的需求，巴西仍然依赖进口。
Brazil is a major producer and exporter of crude oil, and its revenues from the sector have surged this year due to the hike in international prices. But the country still relies on imports to meet domestic demand for refined fuels.
稳定柴油价格对于防止卡车司机罢工和抑制食品通胀也至关重要。2018年，卡车司机罢工曾导致食品价格飙升，超市货架和加油站商品短缺，并造成数十亿美元的损失，凸显了组织化的卡车司机群体所拥有的影响力。
Stabilizing diesel prices is also critical to prevent truck driver strikes and keep food inflation in check. In 2018, a truckers’ strike caused food prices to spike, left grocery market shelves and gas stations depleted, and caused billions in losses, underscoring the power of organized truckers.