On the 28th, the Korea Customs Service announced that it will launch a "Special Response Headquarters (hereinafter referred to as U.S. headquarters)" to respond to the United States' tariff policy.
A Korea Customs Service official noted the background of the U.S. headquarters' launch, stating, "When the U.S. government announces its mutual tariff policy towards countries around the world, including our country, on the 2nd of next month, we aim to minimize any foreseeable confusion."
The U.S. headquarters is led by the Vice Administrator of the Korea Customs Service and consists of three subordinate organizations: the Trade Security Special Investigation Team, Risk Assessment Team, and Corporations Support Team.
The Trade Security Special Investigation Team oversees investigations and crackdowns on actions that threaten trade security by exploiting uncertainties in the trade environment. It is responsible for investigating acts of laundering or circumventing exports by mislabeling the country of origin to evade high tariffs and export-import regulations of the United States, as well as monitoring circumvention exports of sensitive items such as steel and aluminum, which have seen increased tariff rates in U.S. trade competition. Additionally, it will strictly crack down on attempts to evade U.S. export regulations or leak strategic goods and core technologies.
The Risk Assessment Team focuses on preemptively assessing risks to enhance the domestic industry’s ability to respond to country of origin and tariff issues and compliance with regulations. It plans to expand checks on country of origin markings and proactively verify whether the processes for managing preferential origins under free trade agreements (FTAs) of exporting corporations are adequate. In terms of import management, it intends to closely inspect the reporting of distribution history to prevent disruptions in the domestic market caused by goods, such as steel materials, imported in an unfair manner.
The Corporations Support Team plans to mobilize the customs network to coordinate tariff agendas and swiftly secure information on U.S. tariff administration practices. Information on U.S. customs practices will be actively shared with domestic corporations through briefing sessions. In particular, when the U.S. announces its tariff policy towards our country on the 2nd of next month, it plans to establish and disclose corresponding detailed support strategies.
Korea Customs Service Commissioner Ko Kwang-hyo stated, "As the potential for gaps in tariff rates between countries is high, the role of the Korea Customs Service has become even more important," adding, "We will concentrate administrative capabilities on the 'U.S. headquarters' to minimize the negative impacts on our corporations and alleviate their concerns."