
? 沙特阿拉伯在美國總統(tǒng)唐納德·特朗普訪問期間,承諾向美國投資6,000億美元。但沙特目前處于財政赤字狀態(tài),除非油價上漲,否則實(shí)現(xiàn)該國承諾的支出水平將極其困難,而油價上漲則會讓特朗普的經(jīng)濟(jì)賬變得更加復(fù)雜。
除了大規(guī)模經(jīng)濟(jì)協(xié)議外,唐納德·特朗普喜歡的另外一件事就是低油價。
但他目前對海灣國家的訪問,正讓這兩個目標(biāo)產(chǎn)生沖突。
美國政府大肆宣傳沙特阿拉伯的投資承諾,稱總額達(dá)6,000億美元,甚至有說法稱達(dá)到1萬億美元。
這堪稱天文數(shù)字:若按1萬億美元計算,這筆投資相當(dāng)于沙特主權(quán)財富或GDP的總值。要想長期維持這種程度的對美投資,沙特很可能需要推高當(dāng)前的低油價,但這肯定會激怒特朗普。
位于利雅得的海灣研究中心(Gulf Research Center)首席經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家兼研究主任約翰·斯法基亞納基斯對《財富》雜志表示:“這個數(shù)字令人震撼,但其意義最終將取決于投資深度、時間線和油價水平。除非石油收入增加,否則除非謹(jǐn)慎管理,履行這個承諾將使沙特的公共財政緊張。”
據(jù)《海灣新聞》報道,石油目前占沙特財政收入的約60%。
牛津經(jīng)濟(jì)研究院(Oxford Economics)首席經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家瑪雅·塞努西通過電子郵件對《財富》表示:“這些投資承諾確實(shí)規(guī)模龐大,當(dāng)然要考慮現(xiàn)實(shí)狀況。在我們看來,能源價格低迷給沙特帶來的公共財政困境以及對國內(nèi)‘2030愿景’優(yōu)先事項(xiàng)的關(guān)注,意味著已宣布的投資承諾很可能在四年內(nèi)只能部分兌現(xiàn)?!保ㄉ程氐摹?030愿景”旨在通過耗資高達(dá)1.5萬億美元的大型公共工程項(xiàng)目實(shí)現(xiàn)經(jīng)濟(jì)多元化。)
彭博社估計,要實(shí)現(xiàn)收支平衡,沙特需要油價至少達(dá)到每桶96美元。(其他人估計這一數(shù)字超過每桶100美元。)
國際基準(zhǔn)布倫特原油當(dāng)前交易價格約為每桶65美元。今年1月特朗普就職時,布倫特原油價格為每桶79美元,特朗普總統(tǒng)當(dāng)時認(rèn)為這個價格過高。
他于1月23日在世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇表示:“我還會要求沙特和歐佩克(OPEC)降低石油成本?!碧乩势照f道:“你們必須降價,坦率地說,我很驚訝他們在選前沒有這樣做。他們沒有展現(xiàn)出善意?!?/p>
這份“善意”雖遲到了幾個月,但終究還是來了——?dú)W佩克宣布在5月和6月增產(chǎn)推動油價下跌。路透社專欄作家羅恩·布索寫道,沙特的舉動“看起來像是給特朗普的無聲禮物”。美國戰(zhàn)略與國際研究中心(Center for Strategic and International Studies)能源安全與氣候變化項(xiàng)目高級研究員克萊頓·賽格勒周三撰文稱,更低的汽油價格意味著“特朗普已在沙特取得了重大勝利”。
但低油價能維持多久仍有待觀察。
經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家質(zhì)疑6,000億美元這個數(shù)字
許多觀察人士對6,000億美元的協(xié)議表示懷疑,認(rèn)為其規(guī)模異常龐大。白宮提供的情況說明書詳細(xì)列出了總額2,820億美元的投資,其中包括承諾的1,420億美元美國軍售。
瑞銀全球財富管理(UBS Global Wealth Management)首席經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家保羅·多諾萬本周撰文稱,6,000億美元投資計劃“雖然有聲勢浩大的宣傳噱頭,但是實(shí)際上未必能改變現(xiàn)實(shí)。這個計劃不足以讓經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家調(diào)整經(jīng)濟(jì)預(yù)期?!?/p>
據(jù)媒體報道,特朗普希望動用這1萬億美元支出。彭博社首席新興市場經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家齊亞德·達(dá)烏德對《紐約時報》表示,這筆投資“不切實(shí)際”。
阿拉伯海灣國家研究所(Arab Gulf States Institute)訪問學(xué)者、前國際貨幣基金組織(IMF)官員蒂姆·卡倫指出,事實(shí)上,6,000億美元大致相當(dāng)于沙特GDP的60%和當(dāng)前海外資產(chǎn)的40%。卡倫在今年早些時候撰文稱,要實(shí)現(xiàn)這一目標(biāo),沙特需要在未來四年內(nèi)將從美國進(jìn)口的外國商品的比例提高四倍。他表示,雖然“沙特似乎可能會增加對美投資”,但“此次投資承諾的規(guī)模看起來過于龐大”。
雄心勃勃的“2030愿景”又給這一承諾增加了變數(shù)。這是一項(xiàng)耗資可能達(dá)1.3萬億美元的公共工程和經(jīng)濟(jì)多元化計劃。這些國內(nèi)需求已使沙特陷入赤字。高盛(Goldman Sachs)分析師法魯克·蘇薩對CNBC表示,再加上當(dāng)前的油價下跌,沙特赤字到今年底可能翻倍至700億美元。
蘇薩表示,沙特當(dāng)然可以承受短期赤字,但它很可能通過削減項(xiàng)目、出售資產(chǎn)或提高稅收來縮小缺口。
數(shù)字驚人,細(xì)節(jié)匱乏
特朗普聲稱,沙特在他的首個任期內(nèi)購買了4,500億美元的美國出口商品,但阿拉伯海灣國家研究所的卡倫認(rèn)為,這個數(shù)字與現(xiàn)實(shí)“相去甚遠(yuǎn)”。
特朗普并非第一位宣布浮夸公共項(xiàng)目卻最終被現(xiàn)實(shí)打臉的政府官員。政客們熱衷吹噓他們對商業(yè)友好的形象,以至于揭穿這些浮夸承諾已成為一個“小作坊式”的行業(yè)。
諾貝爾獎得主、麻省理工學(xué)院(MIT)經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家西蒙·約翰遜對《財富》雜志表示:“坦白說,對外發(fā)布的聲明總是會有所夸大。我不認(rèn)為這個承諾能夠起到媒體宣傳的實(shí)際效果。但它所傳達(dá)出的信號是積極的?!奔s翰遜此前曾建議首席執(zhí)行官們通過在搖擺州宣布開發(fā)協(xié)議來討好特朗普,即使這些承諾后來都變成了“空談”。
約翰遜表示,在特朗普的首個任期,“許多承諾都未能兌現(xiàn)。但這就是商業(yè)的本質(zhì):重大投資不可能一蹴而就,立竿見影?!保ㄘ敻恢形木W(wǎng))
譯者:劉進(jìn)龍
審校:汪皓
? 沙特阿拉伯在美國總統(tǒng)唐納德·特朗普訪問期間,承諾向美國投資6,000億美元。但沙特目前處于財政赤字狀態(tài),除非油價上漲,否則實(shí)現(xiàn)該國承諾的支出水平將極其困難,而油價上漲則會讓特朗普的經(jīng)濟(jì)賬變得更加復(fù)雜。
除了大規(guī)模經(jīng)濟(jì)協(xié)議外,唐納德·特朗普喜歡的另外一件事就是低油價。
但他目前對海灣國家的訪問,正讓這兩個目標(biāo)產(chǎn)生沖突。
美國政府大肆宣傳沙特阿拉伯的投資承諾,稱總額達(dá)6,000億美元,甚至有說法稱達(dá)到1萬億美元。
這堪稱天文數(shù)字:若按1萬億美元計算,這筆投資相當(dāng)于沙特主權(quán)財富或GDP的總值。要想長期維持這種程度的對美投資,沙特很可能需要推高當(dāng)前的低油價,但這肯定會激怒特朗普。
位于利雅得的海灣研究中心(Gulf Research Center)首席經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家兼研究主任約翰·斯法基亞納基斯對《財富》雜志表示:“這個數(shù)字令人震撼,但其意義最終將取決于投資深度、時間線和油價水平。除非石油收入增加,否則除非謹(jǐn)慎管理,履行這個承諾將使沙特的公共財政緊張?!?/p>
據(jù)《海灣新聞》報道,石油目前占沙特財政收入的約60%。
牛津經(jīng)濟(jì)研究院(Oxford Economics)首席經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家瑪雅·塞努西通過電子郵件對《財富》表示:“這些投資承諾確實(shí)規(guī)模龐大,當(dāng)然要考慮現(xiàn)實(shí)狀況。在我們看來,能源價格低迷給沙特帶來的公共財政困境以及對國內(nèi)‘2030愿景’優(yōu)先事項(xiàng)的關(guān)注,意味著已宣布的投資承諾很可能在四年內(nèi)只能部分兌現(xiàn)?!保ㄉ程氐摹?030愿景”旨在通過耗資高達(dá)1.5萬億美元的大型公共工程項(xiàng)目實(shí)現(xiàn)經(jīng)濟(jì)多元化。)
彭博社估計,要實(shí)現(xiàn)收支平衡,沙特需要油價至少達(dá)到每桶96美元。(其他人估計這一數(shù)字超過每桶100美元。)
國際基準(zhǔn)布倫特原油當(dāng)前交易價格約為每桶65美元。今年1月特朗普就職時,布倫特原油價格為每桶79美元,特朗普總統(tǒng)當(dāng)時認(rèn)為這個價格過高。
他于1月23日在世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇表示:“我還會要求沙特和歐佩克(OPEC)降低石油成本?!碧乩势照f道:“你們必須降價,坦率地說,我很驚訝他們在選前沒有這樣做。他們沒有展現(xiàn)出善意?!?/p>
這份“善意”雖遲到了幾個月,但終究還是來了——?dú)W佩克宣布在5月和6月增產(chǎn)推動油價下跌。路透社專欄作家羅恩·布索寫道,沙特的舉動“看起來像是給特朗普的無聲禮物”。美國戰(zhàn)略與國際研究中心(Center for Strategic and International Studies)能源安全與氣候變化項(xiàng)目高級研究員克萊頓·賽格勒周三撰文稱,更低的汽油價格意味著“特朗普已在沙特取得了重大勝利”。
但低油價能維持多久仍有待觀察。
經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家質(zhì)疑6,000億美元這個數(shù)字
許多觀察人士對6,000億美元的協(xié)議表示懷疑,認(rèn)為其規(guī)模異常龐大。白宮提供的情況說明書詳細(xì)列出了總額2,820億美元的投資,其中包括承諾的1,420億美元美國軍售。
瑞銀全球財富管理(UBS Global Wealth Management)首席經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家保羅·多諾萬本周撰文稱,6,000億美元投資計劃“雖然有聲勢浩大的宣傳噱頭,但是實(shí)際上未必能改變現(xiàn)實(shí)。這個計劃不足以讓經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家調(diào)整經(jīng)濟(jì)預(yù)期。”
據(jù)媒體報道,特朗普希望動用這1萬億美元支出。彭博社首席新興市場經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家齊亞德·達(dá)烏德對《紐約時報》表示,這筆投資“不切實(shí)際”。
阿拉伯海灣國家研究所(Arab Gulf States Institute)訪問學(xué)者、前國際貨幣基金組織(IMF)官員蒂姆·卡倫指出,事實(shí)上,6,000億美元大致相當(dāng)于沙特GDP的60%和當(dāng)前海外資產(chǎn)的40%??▊愒诮衲暝缧r候撰文稱,要實(shí)現(xiàn)這一目標(biāo),沙特需要在未來四年內(nèi)將從美國進(jìn)口的外國商品的比例提高四倍。他表示,雖然“沙特似乎可能會增加對美投資”,但“此次投資承諾的規(guī)??雌饋磉^于龐大”。
雄心勃勃的“2030愿景”又給這一承諾增加了變數(shù)。這是一項(xiàng)耗資可能達(dá)1.3萬億美元的公共工程和經(jīng)濟(jì)多元化計劃。這些國內(nèi)需求已使沙特陷入赤字。高盛(Goldman Sachs)分析師法魯克·蘇薩對CNBC表示,再加上當(dāng)前的油價下跌,沙特赤字到今年底可能翻倍至700億美元。
蘇薩表示,沙特當(dāng)然可以承受短期赤字,但它很可能通過削減項(xiàng)目、出售資產(chǎn)或提高稅收來縮小缺口。
數(shù)字驚人,細(xì)節(jié)匱乏
特朗普聲稱,沙特在他的首個任期內(nèi)購買了4,500億美元的美國出口商品,但阿拉伯海灣國家研究所的卡倫認(rèn)為,這個數(shù)字與現(xiàn)實(shí)“相去甚遠(yuǎn)”。
特朗普并非第一位宣布浮夸公共項(xiàng)目卻最終被現(xiàn)實(shí)打臉的政府官員。政客們熱衷吹噓他們對商業(yè)友好的形象,以至于揭穿這些浮夸承諾已成為一個“小作坊式”的行業(yè)。
諾貝爾獎得主、麻省理工學(xué)院(MIT)經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家西蒙·約翰遜對《財富》雜志表示:“坦白說,對外發(fā)布的聲明總是會有所夸大。我不認(rèn)為這個承諾能夠起到媒體宣傳的實(shí)際效果。但它所傳達(dá)出的信號是積極的。”約翰遜此前曾建議首席執(zhí)行官們通過在搖擺州宣布開發(fā)協(xié)議來討好特朗普,即使這些承諾后來都變成了“空談”。
約翰遜表示,在特朗普的首個任期,“許多承諾都未能兌現(xiàn)。但這就是商業(yè)的本質(zhì):重大投資不可能一蹴而就,立竿見影?!保ㄘ敻恢形木W(wǎng))
譯者:劉進(jìn)龍
審校:汪皓
? Saudi Arabia promised to invest $600 billion in the U.S. during President Donald Trump’s trip there. But the kingdom is currently running a deficit, and boosting its spending to promised levels would be extremely difficult unless the price of oil goes higher—complicating Trump’s math.
If there’s one thing President Donald Trump likes almost as much as big economic deals, it’s low gas prices.
His current trip to the Gulf states is bringing those two goals into conflict.
The administration has touted an investment from Saudi Arabia described as totaling $600 billion or, in one case, $1 trillion.
It’s a massive number: At $1 trillion, the investment would be equivalent to the entire value of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth, or the nation’s GDP. For the nation to be able to sustain that level of investment in the U.S. long-term, it would likely require hiking currently-low oil prices—a prospect sure to anger Trump.
“The number is impressive, but its significance will ultimately depend on the depth, timeline, and the price of oil,” John Sfakianakis, chief economist and head of research at the Gulf Research Center in Riyadh, told Fortune. “Unless oil revenues rise, financing such commitments will strain public finances unless managed prudently.”
Oil currently accounts for about 60% of the kingdom’s revenue, according to Gulf News.
“These pledges will of course have to face up to reality as indeed they are large,” Maya Senussi, lead economist at Oxford Economics, told Fortune in an email. “In our view, the headwinds to public finances from lower energy prices and focus on domestic Vision 2030 priorities mean the announced pledges will likely only partly materialise within the four-year timeframe.” (Vision 2030 aims to diversify the Saudi economy through massive public-works projects, whose cost has been pinned as high as $1.5 trillion.)
In order to break even on spending, the state of Saudi Arabia needs the price of oil to be at least $96 a barrel, Bloomberg estimated. (Other estimates put the number above $100 a barrel.)
Brent crude, the international benchmark, is currently trading at about $65 a barrel. That price was $79 in January, when Trump took office—a number the president thought was too high.
“I’m also going to ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down the cost of oil,” he told the World Economic Forum on Jan. 23. “You got to bring it down, which, frankly, I’m surprised they didn’t do before the election,” Trump said. “That didn’t show a lot of love.”
That love was maybe some months late in coming, but it has arrived, with OPEC announcing production increases for May and June that pushed the price of oil lower. The Saudis’ move “l(fā)ooks like [an] unspoken gift to Trump,” wrote Reuters columnist Ron Bousso. Lower gasoline prices mean “Trump has already scored his big Saudi win,” Clayton Seigle, a senior fellow in the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote Wednesday.
How long that price stays low remains to be seen.
Economist question $600B figure
Many observers have cast doubt on the $600 billion deal, calling it unusually large. A fact sheet provided by the White House details investments totaling $282 billion, including the $142 billion in promised U.S. arms sales.
Paul Donovan, chief economist of UBS Global Wealth Management, wrote this week the $600 billion plan has “a fanfare of spin, which does not necessarily change anything in reality. The announcement does not require economic forecasts to change.”
When it comes to the $1 trillion in spending that Trump reportedly sought, Ziad Daoud, Bloomberg’s chief emerging markets economist, told The New York Times it was “far-fetched.”
As it is, $600 billion is roughly 60% of Saudi Arabia’s GDP and about 40% of its current foreign assets, according to Tim Callen, a visiting fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute and former IMF official. Meeting that target would require the country to quintuple the portion of foreign imports it sources from the U.S. over the next four years, Callen wrote earlier this year. While “it seems likely that Saudi investments in the United States will grow,” he said, “the scale of the commitment looks too large.”
Complicating the commitment is Vision 2030, an ambitious program of public works and economic diversification whose cost has been estimated at $1.3 trillion. These domestic demands have pushed the kingdom into deficit spending. Now add the falling price of oil, and Saudi Arabia’s deficit could double by the end of this year to $70 billion, Goldman Sachs’ Farouk Soussa told CNBC.
To be sure, Saudi Arabia can afford some short-term deficit spending, but it will likely look to close the gap, either by cutting back projects, selling assets, or raising taxes, Soussa said.
Huge numbers, scant details
Trump claims Saudi Arabia bought $450 billion of U.S. exports during his first term, a figure that Callen, of the Arab Gulf States Institute, says was not “anywhere near” reality.
Trump would hardly be the first public official to announce a bombastic public project only to be disappointed by reality. Politicians love to tout their business-friendly bona fides, so much so that debunking these claims has become a cottage industry.
“Let’s be honest, announcements are always at the high end. I don’t think the actual effect is as big as the headline. But the sign is positive,” Simon Johnson, a Nobel prize-winning MIT economist, told Fortune. Johnson previously suggested CEOs get on Trump’s good side by announcing development deals in swing states, even if those promises later turn out to be “vaporware.”
During Trump’s first term, “there were a lot of promises that didn’t come to fruition,” Johnson said. “But that is kind of the nature of the business: If you’re making big investments, they don’t happen overnight.”