The South Korea-U.S. tariff working group will head to the United States on the morning of the 20th. This comes four days after Minister Ahn Duk-geun of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Jamieson Greer, the representative of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), held the second round of trade ministerial consultations on the 16th in Jeju.
The government delegation will conduct working consultations focused on six areas: balanced trade, non-tariff measures, economic security, digital trade, origin, and commercial considerations during the second technical meeting in Washington, D.C. The technical consultations are preliminary discussions aimed at outlining specific agenda items for the main negotiations.
The delegation reportedly consists of around 15 members. In addition to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Ministry of Science and ICT are also included. This is in contrast to the first technical meeting, where the delegation was slimmed down to five trade personnel from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
A government trade official noted, "Prior to the last consultation, the U.S. side had not made any specific demands," adding, "There is a possibility that specific demands, such as expanding agricultural imports, may be raised from this second technical consultation onward, so we are monitoring the situation closely."
Currently, both South Korea and the United States are engaged in trade consultations aimed at finalizing the 'July package' agreement that was reached during last month’s 2+2 high-level talks.
The Trump administration has prioritized addressing the trade deficit as a key goal of its foreign trade policy. It is expected to demand that South Korea increase purchases of U.S. products, such as energy, to achieve trade balance. There is also speculation that it may raise various non-tariff barrier issues as a means of pressure. The U.S. has previously pointed out non-tariff barriers in South Korea through reports on trade barriers, citing the age restrictions on imported beef and restrictions on the export of Google Maps.
In response, the South Korean government is expected to demand exemptions or reductions in tariff rates on reciprocal tariffs and specific items based on industrial cooperation in areas such as shipbuilding, which the U.S. has shown interest in.
The government has set the first goal of concluding negotiations by July 8, when the U.S. is expected to suspend the imposition of reciprocal tariffs, but it is also considering the possibility that discussions may take longer.
Given that the U.S. is engaged in trade negotiations with many countries, it is currently difficult to advance consultations quickly. Additionally, significant events such as the presidential election on June 3 and changes in trade negotiation leadership are scheduled, leading to speculation that time may be physically limited after the new government takes office.
Ahn Duk-geun, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, also stated during a press briefing after the trade ministerial consultations on the 16th, "We aim to reach an agreement before July 8, but it is a tight situation to meet the deadline," adding, "We will try to meet the deadline, but I anticipate that adjustments may be necessary if unavoidable circumstances arise."