The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that on the 6th, Yeo Han-koo, head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters, met with Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, in Washington, D.C. to discuss options for extending the reciprocal tariff suspension set to expire on the 8th.
Deputy Minister Yeo conveyed the Korean government's position regarding U.S. tariff measures during a bilateral meeting held in Washington, D.C. on the 5th (local time) and presented a new vision centered around a reciprocal manufacturing cooperation system between Korea and the U.S.
In this discussion, Deputy Minister Yeo emphasized that the two countries are closely connected based on complementary industrial supply chains and also proposed a Korean initiative on cooperation to strengthen supply chains.
In particular, he reiterated that the elimination or reduction of tariffs on key items such as steel, aluminum, and automobiles must be included in this negotiation.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the two sides have engaged in discussions for about a month since the new administration took office, and they agreed on the necessity of narrowing differences during this meeting. They also discussed extending the deadline for the reciprocal tariff suspension to achieve concrete results.
Deputy Minister Yeo said, “Since the early days of the new government, both sides have been doing their utmost to negotiate a win-win solution,” adding, “While the situation is unpredictable, we will maintain the strong cooperation momentum built over the years between the two countries and continue negotiations based on national interests until a favorable outcome regarding U.S. tariff measures is achieved.”