Jung In-gyo, Head of Trade Headquarters, Requests Mutual Tariff Exemption from US Trade Representative

"We Should Not Be Treated Unfavorably Compared to Other Countries"

Jung In-kyo, Head of the Trade Negotiation Office at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, met with Jamie Greer, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), to request a mutual tariff exemption measure scheduled for the 2nd of next month.

According to the Ministry of Trade on the 15th, during his visit to Washington D.C., USA, on the 13th-14th (local time), Head Jung emphasized to Representative Greer that "our country should not be treated unfavorably compared to other countries" and requested mutual tariff exemption.

Head Jung explained, "Through the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA), tariffs between the two countries have been effectively eliminated," adding, "Many of our non-tariff issues have also been resolved or are being managed."

Representative Greer did not give a definitive answer but agreed on the need to continue consultations to seek constructive and mutually beneficial progress on tariff and non-tariff measures.

Additionally, Head Jung met with Senator Andrew Kim (Democrat, New Jersey) to exchange views on ways to deepen Korea-U.S. cooperation, and also held meetings with experts from the Hudson Institute and local law firms.

Furthermore, he held a roundtable with Korean steel industry representatives operating in the U.S. to discuss response strategies and ways to minimize industry damage regarding the steel and aluminum tariffs implemented since the 12th.

Head Jung stated, "Through this visit to the U.S., we held the first meeting between the heads of Korea-U.S. trade authorities, laying the groundwork for strengthening future trade cooperation," adding, "Based on the trust established between the Korea-U.S. trade authorities during this visit, we will respond under the principle of maximizing national interests to ensure that our position is reflected as much as possible on major issues including tariff measures."