Foreign Minister Park Jin has reportedly conveyed concerns to his American counterpart about a new U.S. law that excludes South Korean automakers from tax breaks.
According to a diplomatic source on Sunday, Minister Park conveyed Seoul’s concerns about the law during a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday.
The 430 billion-dollar bill, signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden last Tuesday, calls for expanding tax subsidies for electric vehicle(EV) buyers, but only for EVs assembled in North America.
Minister Park reportedly told Blinken that the local auto industry is concerned about the law, expressing hope for more flexible implementation.
After the phone talks, Seoul’s foreign ministry and the U.S. State Department both issued press releases, but neither mentioned the discussion of the topic.
However, Minister Park told the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs the same day that the local auto industry is worried about the new law, adding he was conveying the concerns to the U.S. through various channels.
Source: KBS World Radio