全球最大的铁矿石买主中国昨日宣布，正在研究对力拓(Rio Tinto)、必和必拓(BHP Billiton)和淡水河谷(Vale)是否非法垄断全球铁矿石价格展开调查。
China, the world's biggest buyer of iron ore, announced yesterday that it would launch an investigation into whether Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Vale are exerting illegal monopoly control over global iron ore pricing.
中国商务部的这一声明突显出，对于中国不能控制一种对其钢铁工业至关重要的资源的价格，中国政府很是不满。
The announcement, which came from China's Ministry of Commerce, highlights Beijing's frustration at China's inability to control the price of a resource that is crucial to its steel industry.
“商务部反垄断局正在研究这个问题，”商务部一位发言人在记者招待会上说。
“The commerce ministry's antitrust bureau is currently studying the issue,” a ministry spokesman said at a press conference.
欧盟等世界其它地区的钢铁生产商，也表达了对铁矿石行业竞争状况的担忧。
Steelmakers elsewhere, including the European Union, have also raised competition concerns.
上述声明证实了本周早些时候一家官方媒体做出的报道，即中国可能展开此类调查。
The announcement confirmed reports earlier this week from state-affiliated media that such an investigation was possible.
但目前还不清楚，昨日的声明是否将导致一项全面的调查。
But it was unclear yesterday whether the announcement will lead to a full-blown investigation.
根据中国2008年8月生效的新《反垄断法》，对垄断定价或卡特尔行为的调查并不由商务部反垄断局实施，而是由联合执行《反垄断法》的 其它政府部门实施。
Under China's new anti- monopoly law, which came into force in August 2008, investigations into monopoly pricing or cartel activity are not conducted by the Ministry of Commerce's antitrust bureau but by other branches of government which jointly enforce the anti-monopoly law.
迄今为止，中国政府极少展开对垄断定价或卡特尔的调查，尽管它在监控并购交易的反竞争影响方面要积极得多——其中包括那些完全发生在海 外的并购。
Beijing has so far launched very few monopoly pricing or cartel investigations, though it has been much more active in policing the anticompetitive effects of mergers and acquisitions, including those that take place entirely overseas.
据信，上述大型矿商并未获得中国当局关于可能展开调查的正式通知。必和必拓和力拓均拒绝置评。
The big miners are not thought to have been formally notified by the Chinese authorities of a possible investigation. BHP and Rio declined to comment.
巴西的淡水河谷与英澳矿商必和必拓及力拓主宰着全球铁矿石行业，三家的合计出口量约占该大宗商品全球出口量的70%。
Vale of Brazil and Anglo-Australian miners BHP and Rio dominate the global iron ore industry, accounting for about 70 per cent of the commodity's exports.
中国钢铁生产商一直在大声抱怨铁矿石价格的飞涨、以及该行业有40年历史的年度合同定价体系在近期的终结。
China's steelmakers have been vocal in their complaints about soaring iron ore prices and the recent demise of the 40-year old system that set an annual contract price for the commodity.