China’s steel production growth is expected to slow sharply in 2018 as state-mandated factory closures and policies to protect the environment begin to bite.

预计2018年中国钢铁产量增速将会大幅放缓，原因是政府强制关闭工厂和环保政策开始产生影响。

The world’s largest producer of the metal will experience just a small rise in output of 0.6 per cent this year, a poll of 15 analysts found in a Financial Times survey.

英国《金融时报》对15名分析师进行的调查显示，作为世界最大的钢铁生产国，中国今年的钢铁产量将仅小幅上升0.6%。

Steel is often viewed as a barometer of economic activity because it is used in carmaking, construction and manufacturing, which means a significant price move could have repercussions for the broader economy.

钢铁常被视为经济活动的晴雨表，因为钢铁被用于汽车制造、建筑和制造业，这意味着钢铁的重大价格变动可能会对整体经济产生影响。

For the steelmakers, the Chinese slowdown could have positive effects.

对于钢铁制造商来说，中国钢铁生产放缓可能带来积极的影响。

A modest increase in production from China, which accounts for about half the 1.7bn tonnes churned out worldwide, could restore balance to a global market that was ravaged by a collapse in prices two years ago due to oversupply.

中国占全球17亿吨的钢铁产量的一半左右，中国钢铁产量仅小幅上升有利于全球市场恢复平衡。两年前，供应过剩导致的价格暴跌重创了国际钢铁市场。

The anticipated slowdown comes despite a robust outlook for the Chinese economy and contrasts with a 5.7 per cent jump in its crude steel output during the first 11 months of 2017, according to World Steel Association figures.

虽然中国经济前景被看好，分析师依然做出了上述的放缓预测。与此形成对比的是，世界钢铁协会(World Steel Association)的数据显示，2017年头11个月中国粗钢产量大幅上升5.7%。

Even so, global annual production in 2018 is slated to increase 2.1 per cent, according to an average of the analysts’ forecasts.

根据分析师预测的平均值，预计2018年全球钢铁产量将增长2.1%。

World output increased 5.4 per cent between January and November 2017, compared with the same period a year before.

2017年1月至11月期间，世界钢铁产量同比增长5.4%。

Rod Beddows of HCF International Advisors said: “The total market appears to be reverting to a more stable ‘normal’ with Chinese exports under control.”

HCF International Advisors的罗德•贝多斯(Rod Beddows)说：“总体市场似乎正恢复到更稳定的‘常态’，中国的出口受到控制。”

Donald Trump’s pledge to renew US infrastructure, coupled with the impact of import restrictions against steel deemed unfairly traded, were cited as factors behind the average forecast of a 3.4 per cent jump in the country’s steel production in 2018.

对2018年美国钢铁产量增速的平均预测值为3.4%，原因包括唐纳德•特朗普(Donald Trump)关于更新美国基础设施的承诺，以及美国政府对其认为存在不公平贸易的钢铁的进口限制。

Alistair Ramsay of the publication Metal Bulletin said that US producers had been winning customers back from external suppliers, partly due to a weak dollar.

英国《金属导报》(Metal Bulletin)的阿利斯泰尔•拉姆齐(Alistair Ramsay)表示，美国生产商不断从外国供应商那里抢回客户，美元疲软是部分原因。