(2nd LD) S. Korea again requests exemption from all U.S. tariffs; 2nd round of technical talks to be held next week
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By Kim Na-young
JEJU, South Korea, May 16 (Yonhap) — South Korea has again asked the United States to exempt the country from all tariffs, Seoul’s Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said Friday, after meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of a trade ministers’ meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies.
In the meeting, the two sides agreed to hold their second round of technical discussions next week on six areas related to trade — trade imbalances, non-tariff measures, economic security, country of origin of products and commercial considerations — Ahn said.
Next week’s meeting is expected to be followed by additional high-level talks in mid-June, he added.
The high-level meeting held on South Korea’s southern island of Jeju comes about three weeks after their last gathering in Washington for high-level trade consultations, where the two sides agreed to pursue a “package” deal on U.S. tariffs and economic cooperation issues by July 8.
Greer was participating in the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting on Jeju, which wrapped up its two-day run on Friday.
Last month, Seoul and Washington agreed to focus their talks on four categories — tariff and non-tariff measures, economic security, investment cooperation and currency policies.
This photo provided by South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy shows Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun (R) shaking hands with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in their meeting held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers’ meeting on the southern Jeju Island on May 16, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
South Korea has been seeking to get a reduction or exemption from U.S. tariffs, including 25 percent reciprocal duties, which have been suspended for 90 days.
“In Friday’s meeting, we tried to raise awareness that South Korea has a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with the U.S., unlike some other countries, and have expanded trade and investment with the U.S. under the FTA,” Ahn told reporters in a press briefing.
“We also explained that U.S. tariffs on automobile and steel imports have a huge impact on trade relations between the two countries,” he added.
Ahn noted that South Korea’s capabilities in becoming a major partner to the U.S. in industrial cooperation stand out compared to other countries.
Regarding next week’s technical discussions, Ahn said the U.S. has shown a big interest in digital trade, including Google Maps and cloud computing issues, Ahn said,
The shipbuilding cooperation and Seoul’s potential participation in the Alaska liquefied natural gas project, however, will not be covered in the talks, the minister said, noting the issues will be discussed separately.
Earlier in the day, Greer also met with executives of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. in Jeju to discuss bilateral cooperation in shipbuilding.
Shipbuilding cooperation is one of the key agenda items of the Seoul-Washington trade negotiations amid the Trump administration’s push to rebuild America’s shipbuilding sector. South Korea is a global leader in the shipbuilding industry.
Last month, U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan visited South Korea to tour HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Ulsan headquarters and Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard.
In an exclusive written interview with Yonhap News Agency following his trip, Phelan said the U.S. Navy welcomes further collaboration with South Korean shipyards as part of a broader effort to revitalize America’s maritime industrial base.
U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan (2nd from R, front row) visits the shipyard of Hanwha Ocean Co. in the southeastern industrial city of Geoje on April 30, 2025, in this file photo released by the company. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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