March 1st 2025.
Over the weekend, it was announced that South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun has made a request to the U.S. government to exempt South Korea from their new tariff plans. This came as Ahn met with various U.S. officials, including U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and U.S. Secretary of Interior and National Energy Dominance Council Chairman Doug Burgum during his visit to Washington, D.C. this week.
The request was made in light of growing concerns over the U.S. administration's plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, as well as their consideration of reciprocal tariffs and new tariffs on cars, chips, and pharmaceuticals. This marks the first visit to Washington by a ministerial official from Seoul since U.S. President Donald Trump took office last month.
During his meeting with Lutnick, Ahn expressed the concerns of South Korean companies and urged for the exemption of duties on Korean companies. The two sides also discussed the possibility of strengthening their partnership in strategic industries such as shipbuilding and advanced industries. To further address these issues, Ahn and Lutnick agreed to establish working-level consultative bodies for talks on tariff plans and shipbuilding cooperation.
In separate meetings with Greer and Burgum, the Korean industry minister also discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation in energy and trade. Ahn also took the opportunity to meet with Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, who introduced a bill aimed at revitalizing the U.S. shipbuilding and maritime industries, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in this sector.
Ahn also had fruitful discussions with Kevin D. Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation; John J. Hamre, president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Adam S. Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, to exchange views on Seoul's strategy regarding U.S. trade policies.
In conclusion, Ahn stated, "South Korea will work towards achieving the best results through systematic and sincere negotiations with the U.S. on new industry, trade, and energy policies based on our past success in responding to the U.S. CHIPS Act and Inflation Reduction Act." This shows the determination of South Korea to address these issues and come to a mutually beneficial agreement with the U.S. IANS
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