The government conveyed its position that, regarding additional tariff pressure related to the U.S. Trade Act Section 301 investigation, the balance of benefits under the existing tariff agreement must be maintained.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said on the 4th that Yeo Han-koo, head of the Office of the Minister for Trade, met with Jamieson Greer, head of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), on the 3rd (local time) in Paris, France, on the sidelines of the 2026 Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). They discussed overall bilateral trade issues, including the results of the Trade Act Section 301 investigation.
The meeting took place immediately after the USTR released the results of its Section 301 investigation on the 2nd regarding the import ban on goods produced with forced labor. The United States said it would impose an additional 12.5% tariff on Korean products on the grounds that imports of goods produced with forced labor were not effectively blocked. The United States is also separately conducting a Section 301 investigation into overproduction.
In the meeting, Deputy Minister Yeo directly confirmed the background of the latest investigation results and the plan for the ongoing Section 301 investigation into overproduction. Deputy Minister Yeo said, "We made clear to the U.S. side that not only the latest Section 301 results but also future bilateral trade issues should be discussed within the framework of the Korea-U.S. tariff agreement, rather than through new tariff measures."
The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) said the U.S. side also reaffirmed its willingness to abide by the Korea-U.S. tariff agreement.
The two sides also reviewed the implementation status of the items agreed to in the joint fact sheet between the two leaders in November last year. They also agreed to maintain close communication to ensure related follow-up measures proceed smoothly.
Deputy Minister Yeo said, "For the remaining procedures related to Section 301, we will respond calmly and continue close communication with the U.S. side so that trade issues between Korea and the United States can be managed stably."