Seoul: South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun will pay a visit to the United States as early as this week for discussions on new U.S. import tariff plans, a government official said Sunday. The proposed visit comes as U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to impose tariffs on imported goods starting in April.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the visit is being arranged with U.S. officials to finalize the date, potentially taking place this week. A senior government official emphasized the urgency of presenting South Korea's stance on the impending tariffs before the U.S. trade policy is fully implemented.
Minister Ahn is expected to hold meetings with senior U.S. officials responsible for trade and commerce, including Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and senior officials of the National Economic Council. The discussions aim to underscore South Korea's significance as a U.S. partner in industries such as steel, automotive, and semiconductors, to mitigate any adverse effects from the U.S. import tariff plan.
Earlier this month, President Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports to the U.S., and directed a review of "reciprocal" tariffs to align with those imposed on U.S. exports by other countries.
South Korea's Deputy Trade Minister Park Jong-won recently visited Washington for discussions with officials from the White House, the commerce department, and the U.S. Trade Representative's office. During these meetings, he advocated for South Korea's exclusion from the new tariff plans, highlighting the positive trade relations fostered by their bilateral free trade agreement, which has effectively eliminated most tariffs on goods traded between the two nations since 2013.