Australia blocked the $3.1 billion takeover bid by US food giant Archer Daniels Midland Co. for GrainCorp on Friday. Treasurer Joe Hockey， invoking a rarely used power to foreign investment， said he rejected the takeover because it would not be in Australia’s national interest. ADM， which owns a nearly 20 percent stake in GrainCorp， offered to buy the rest of the company last year. Chief executive Patricia Woertz said ADM was disappointed by the move.
澳大利亞上周五拒絕了美國食品巨頭阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭公司31億美元收購澳大利亞GrainCorp的收購要約。財政部長(cháng)喬·霍基少有地運用了對外國投資的否決權，他表示，拒絕這項收購是因為它不符合澳大利亞的國家利益。阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭公司擁有GrainCorp近20%的股權，去年表示希望購買(mǎi)該公司剩余的股權，該企業(yè)的首席執行官Patricia Woertz對這一決定表示失望。(波士頓全球網(wǎng))
The ruling that the bid was against the national interest is just the first in a series of difficult choices that all three parties face in coming weeks and months that will have a big bearing on Australia’s standing as a destination for foreign investment.
認為這一違背國家利益的判決只是未來(lái)數周或數月三方將面對的一系列困難選擇中的一個(gè)，將攸關(guān)澳大利亞作為一個(gè)外資目的地的地位。(《澳大利亞人報》)
The decision was interpreted by some as the removal of the “open for business” sign Prime Minister Tony Abbott claimed had been staked in the ground on election night.
這一決定被理解為總理托尼·阿博特在選舉之夜信誓旦旦宣稱(chēng)的“開(kāi)放商業(yè)”承諾的某些轉變。(《悉尼先驅晨報》)
阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭公司的收購行為被某些人視作阿博特承諾的試金石。不過(guò)霍基部長(cháng)認為，這只是他就任以來(lái)被拒絕的131起外國投資中的一宗而已。
GrainCorp is the only publicly traded grain merchant in Australia. Its 280 wheat storage sites， and control of seven of the ten ports that ship grain from the east coast of the country， means the company handles 75 percent of annual grain production and 90 percent of exports from eastern Australia. ADM， an Illinois-based S&P 500 listed company with revenues of $89 billion last year， already has a 20 percent stake in GrainCorp but wanted to move to 100 percent ownership with a $3.4 billion takeover. The company was believed to be targeting the Australian market as a way of boosting its presence in Asian markets， especially China， which is a major purchaser of Australian wheat exports.
GrainCorp是澳大利亞唯一上市交易的谷物生產(chǎn)商。這家企業(yè)有280個(gè)小麥儲存站，控制著(zhù)從該國東海岸運送谷物的十個(gè)港口中的七個(gè)，掌控著(zhù)澳大利亞?wèn)|部每年75%的谷物生產(chǎn)以及90%的出口。阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭公司是一家設在伊利諾斯的標普500家企業(yè)，去年的年收入為890億美元，已經(jīng)擁有GrainCorp20%的股份，希望能通過(guò)34億美元的收購，實(shí)現對GrainCorp百分之百的控股。阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭希望通過(guò)澳大利亞市場(chǎng)來(lái)提高在亞洲市場(chǎng)的地位，尤其是提高對作為澳大利亞主要小麥出口地的中國的影響。(世界社會(huì )主義網(wǎng))
Mr Hockey said grain growers in eastern Australia had expressed concern an acquisition by ADM could reduce competition and impede their ability to access grain storage and distribution.
霍基部長(cháng)稱(chēng)，澳大利亞?wèn)|部的谷物生產(chǎn)者擔心阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭公司的收購會(huì )減少競爭，并妨礙他們谷物儲存和配售的能力。(《悉尼先驅晨報》)
在征求了外國投資審查委員會(huì )的建議后，霍基部長(cháng)認為，股東和更廣泛的團體都高度關(guān)注此次收購請求。然而現在不是出售GrainCorp這樣的核心企業(yè)和接受外資公司并購的最佳時(shí)機。
Both ADM and GrainCorp expressed disappointment at the decision， which would deny the country’s agricultural industry significant capital investment， said GrainCorp Chairman Don Taylor.
阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭公司和GrainCorp都對此決定表示失望，GrainCorp主席泰勒表示，這將減少對該國農業(yè)的投資。(路透社)
阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭公司的CEO Patricia Woertz也表示：“自始至終，我們都積極創(chuàng )造條件，使之符合澳大利亞的最大利益，并承諾解決股東面臨的重要問(wèn)題�！�
Hockey said he was open to ADM - one of the four “ABCD” firms that have dominated the global agricultural business for decades - increasing its stake in GrainCorp to nearly 25 percent. ADM said it would consider an increase.
霍基部長(cháng)表示，對于這家全球農業(yè)四大企業(yè)之一的阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭公司將持有GrainCorp的股份提高到25%，他持有開(kāi)放的態(tài)度。阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭公司曾表示要增持股份。(路透社)
顯然，霍基部長(cháng)是下定決心要維護澳大利亞的國家利益。他曾表示，澳大利亞仍然處于向更具競爭性市場(chǎng)過(guò)渡時(shí)期，不能讓一個(gè)國外企業(yè)整體收購澳大利亞的重點(diǎn)企業(yè)。
GrainCorp’s chairman Don Taylor says the Federal Government has an obligation to contribute funds for rural infrastructure upgrades after blocking ADM’s bid for the company， which promised a $250 million injection for upgraded rail and facilities.
GrainCorp’s主席泰勒表示，澳大利亞聯(lián)邦政府在拒絕阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭公司的收購要約后，有義務(wù)為該國的農村基礎設施更新提供資金，阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭公司曾表示將注資2.5億美元來(lái)改善道路和設施。(美國廣播公司網(wǎng))
阿徹丹尼爾斯米德蘭公司曾經(jīng)持續對GrainCorp投資，為澳大利亞農業(yè)部門(mén)做出了一定貢獻。這也是霍基部長(cháng)同意該公司增持股份的理由之一。