As U.S. President Donald Trump strengthens tariff measures, Minister And Deok-geun of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Rutnik to request a tariff exemption for South Korea. The two sides also agreed to establish a working-level consultative body to discuss tariff and shipbuilding cooperation. This marks the first time since the launch of the Trump administration that the trade leadership of South Korea and the United States has discussed tariff policies.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on the 1st, Minister And met Secretary Rutnik in Washington, D.C., on the 27th of last month, and they agreed to establish a working-level consultative body to discuss U.S.-South Korea tariff measures and another to strengthen U.S.-South Korea shipbuilding cooperation. The government plans to conduct relevant consultations with the United States in a manner that maximally reflects the interests of South Korean corporations through the working-level consultative body.
During a visit to the U.S. from the 26th to 28th of last month, Minister And met with Doug Burgum, Chairperson of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and Secretary of the Interior, and Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Minister And discussed enhancing mutually beneficial U.S.-South Korea energy cooperation with Chairperson Burgum and explored trade cooperation measures with USTR Greer.
Minister And also discussed measures to strengthen U.S.-South Korea shipbuilding cooperation with U.S. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, who previously introduced the Ships Act, a law to strengthen the U.S. shipbuilding industry. With Kevin Roberts, Chairperson of the Heritage Foundation, John Hamre, Chairperson of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Adam Posen, Director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), Minister And discussed effective responses to U.S. trade issues and requested their support in serving as a bridge for cooperation between the U.S. and South Korean governments.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy evaluated that they laid the foundation for strengthening cooperation with the newly appointed U.S. government through this visit. Minister And Deok-geun noted, "Based on our successful responses to past measures such as the Semiconductor Act and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), we will respond to the systematic and sincere consultations regarding the continuously announced U.S. industrial, trade, and energy policies to achieve the best outcomes."