The government said it will enter talks over the United States' launch of a Section 301 investigation into forced labor, aiming to secure treatment that is not disadvantageous compared with major countries.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources on the 13th, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced on the 12th (local time) that it is launching an investigation under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act into acts, policies and practices related to forced labor. Those surveyed include a total of 60 trading partners, including Korea, China, the European Union (EU), Japan and the United Kingdom.
The investigation aims to determine whether countries' failure to ban the import of goods produced with forced labor burdens or restricts U.S. commerce. The USTR requested consultations with those surveyed. It plans to accept written comments from those surveyed until the 15th of next month and hold a public hearing on the 28th of next month.
The government received the U.S. request for consultations immediately after the investigation was launched and plans to respond under the principle of maintaining the balance of benefits under the existing Korea-U.S. tariff agreement and securing treatment that is not disadvantageous compared with major countries.
To respond to successive measures, including the Section 301 investigation into overcapacity announced the previous day and the Section 301 investigation into forced labor announced that day, the government plans to establish a joint public-private response system with participation from the government, industry and experts.
Earlier, following a ruling that tariff measures based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were unlawful, the U.S. government has said it would restore tariff measures by using Section 122 and Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act, among others.