Ahead of the South Korea–U.S. summit to be held in Gyeongju on the 29th, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump took a cautious stance on the possibility of a trade deal while repeatedly stressing the need for bilateral cooperation in the shipbuilding sector.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking with reporters on the 27th local time aboard his chartered plane en route from Malaysia to Japan, was asked whether the South Korea–U.S. trade talks would be wrapped up before the summit and said, "It doesn't seem like it yet. The broad framework of the negotiations is in place, but there are many detailed adjustments and complex issues remaining."
In contrast to Secretary Bessent's caution, President Trump, in a press gaggle on the same plane, emphasized the need for cooperation in shipbuilding. "We want to build more ships," he said. "The United States has enough shipyards, and we will revive that industry." He added, "During World War II, the United States was the world's largest shipbuilding power, but later lost industrial competitiveness," and, "Now it is time to reverse that trend."
At the same venue, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer said, "South Korea is pursuing meaningful investment in the shipbuilding sector in the United States, and some of it is already in the implementation stage." He said, "We are currently discussing how to carry out these investments most efficiently."