Seoul, March 1 South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun has filed a request with the U.S. government to exclude South Korea from its new tariff plans while discussing expanding bilateral cooperation in various fields, Ahn's office said on Saturday.
Ahn made the request as he met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer, U.S. Secretary of Interior and National Energy Dominance Council Chairman Doug Burgum, and other officials during his trip to Washington, D.C., this week, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Ahn's trip came amid mounting concerns over the plan of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to impose 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, as well as to introduce reciprocal tariffs, and his consideration of new tariffs on cars, chips and pharmaceuticals, reports Yonhap news agency.
It marked the first visit to Washington by a ministerial official from Seoul since Trump took office last month.
In a meeting with Lutnick, Ahn conveyed South Korean companies' concerns over Washington's new tariff scheme and called for the exemption of duties on Korean companies, according to the ministry.
The two sides also discussed bolstering their partnership in strategic industries, such as shipbuilding and advanced industries.
To further discuss the issues, Ahn and Lutnick agreed to install respective working-level consultative bodies for talks on tariff plans and shipbuilding cooperation, the ministry said.
In separate meetings with Greer and Burgum, the Korean industry minister discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in energy and trade.
The ministry said Ahn also met with Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, who introduced a bill aimed at revitalising the U.S. shipbuilding and maritime industries, to exchange views on bolstering cooperation in the sector.
Ahn also met with Kevin D. Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation; John J. Hamre, president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Adam S. Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, to discuss Seoul's strategy on U.S. trade policies.
"South Korea will work to earn the best results from systematic and earnest negotiations with the U.S. on new industry, trade and energy policies based on our experience of successfully responding to the U.S. CHIPS Act and Inflation Reduction Act in the past," Ahn said.
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