For foreign milk producers, China is becoming less lucrative after Beijing moved to protect domestic companies that suffered safety scandals by launching a price-fixing probe focusing on overseas companies.
对于外资奶制品生产商而言，中国市场的盈利前景正在趋于下降，因为中国政府为保护深受食品安全丑闻困扰的国内奶制品生产商，展开了一项针对外资企业定价行为的调查。
Danone on Monday said it would lower its Chinese infant formula prices by as much as a fifth.
达能(Danone)周一宣布，将把婴儿配方奶粉在中国市场的销售价格下调至多五分之一。
In an emailed statement, the Paris-based company said it would cut prices of its Dumex-branded baby nutrition products in China by 5-20 per cent from Tuesday.
在一份通过电子邮件发送的公告中，这家总部位于巴黎的公司宣布，从周二开始，旗下多美滋(Dumex)品牌婴儿营养奶粉在中国市场的售价将下调5%至20%。
Danone and fellow formula producer Nestlé had already said this month they would reduce prices, but not by how much.
达能与同业配方奶粉生产商雀巢(Nestlé)本月曾经宣布将下调产品售价，但当时没有说明降价幅度。
Following a baby formula poisoning scandal in 2008 that killed some Chinese infants and injured many more, foreign-produced powdered milk became so popular that it began disappearing from supermarket shelves over the border in Hong Kong, where authorities are now arresting smugglers.
在2008年爆出的有毒婴儿配方奶粉丑闻中，一些中国婴儿中毒身亡，还有大批婴幼儿身体受损。自此之后，外国产奶粉在中国市场上变得大受欢迎，以至于在香港超级市场的货架上已经难觅其踪影，香港当地政府现已开始对走私奶粉者实施逮捕。
Citibank has estimated that a 10 per cent cut in Danone’s Chinese infant formula prices would shave about 1 per cent off the company’s forward earnings, while the effect on Nestlé would be negligible.
花旗(Citibank)估计，达能婴儿配方奶粉在中国市场的售价若下调10%，将导致该公司的预期利润下降下降约1%；而调价对于雀巢的影响则可以忽略不计。 |
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