"Imports of Korean Medical Devices Pose No Threat to U.S. Security"

Korean Government Submits Official Opinion on U.S. National Security Investigation into Medical Products
"Korea Is the Optimal Partner for U.S. Medical Device Production Diversification"

After the U.S. government launched an investigation into the impact of imports of medical devices and other medical products on national security, the Korean government submitted an official opinion stating that imports of Korean-made products do not pose a threat to U.S. national security.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 17th that it had prepared and submitted its official opinion to the United States on October 16 (local time) regarding the national security impact investigation on imported medical products under Section 233 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act. Medical products covered by the investigation include personal protective equipment, medical consumables, and medical devices.

Previously, on September 2, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the launch of a national security investigation into imports of medical products and stated that it would accept written opinions until October 17 as part of the process. Such national security investigations by the U.S. are generally seen as a precursor to the imposition of tariffs.

In its opinion, the Korean government emphasized that imports of Korean medical products do not threaten U.S. national security. On the contrary, they make a substantial contribution to the stability of the U.S. economy, supply chains, and public health security, making additional trade measures such as tariffs unnecessary.

As of last year, Korea's exports of medical devices to the U.S. amounted to 930 million dollars (about 1.32 trillion won), while imports from the U.S. totaled 1.53 billion dollars, indicating that Korea imports more from the U.S. than it exports. The government also highlighted that Korean diagnostic kits played a crucial role in the U.S. pandemic response in the early stages of COVID-19.

The government further noted that most Korean medical devices are classified as 'World Health Organization (WHO) priority medical devices' and are supplied at reasonable prices, helping to reduce the financial burden on the U.S. healthcare system. Korea also expressed its view that it could be an optimal partner for U.S. medical device companies seeking to diversify their production bases.

Minister of Health and Welfare Chung Eun-kyung stated, "With the U.S. government signaling the imposition of tariffs on pharmaceutical products and launching a national security investigation into medical products including medical devices, active measures are needed to minimize the impact on the biohealth industry." She added, "We will work closely with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and other relevant agencies to actively engage in government-wide trade negotiations, closely monitor tariff trends, expand financial support for companies affected by tariffs, and strengthen export competitiveness through new market development."