Wi Sung-lac, head of the Office of National Security, on the 22nd said regarding the "super Section 301 (Trade Act Section 301 tariff)" that "I think there could be additional tariff." On the U.S. request to dispatch a warship to the Strait of Hormuz, he said, "We have not received a request."
The Deputy Minister that day met reporters at Chunchugwan at the Blue House and said, "Section 301 is basically related to forced labor and overproduction, but it depends on interpretation," adding, "It could be Section 301, or it could be another provision."
He added, "Recently, a 50% tariff was imposed on Canada, but that is yet another legal provision," and said, "There could be moves to impose tariffs in various ways, such as invoking provisions that have not been applied before."
However, he said, "Even if there are Section 301 measures, my understanding is that they will not exceed the tariff rates agreed between Korea and the United States," adding, "We are consulting with the United States, and we are providing or explaining the materials we need."
The 10% global tariff imposed by the Trump administration expires on the 24th (local time) under a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the reciprocal tariff is unlawful. In response, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has been investigating trade practices of various countries, including Korea. Section 301 of the Trade Act allows retaliatory measures such as imposing tariffs against unfair trade practices by foreign governments, including "overproduction" and "forced labor."