Publication and Congressional Report of the Trade Policy Agenda
Jamison Greer, Representative of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). Photo by Yonhap News Agency
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced on March 2 (local time) that the Korean government has pledged not to discriminate against American companies in its laws and policies related to digital services.
In the Korea section of the "2026 Trade Policy Agenda and 2025 Annual Report" submitted to Congress on the same day, the USTR stated, "Korea has committed to ensuring that its laws and policies regarding digital services-including network usage fees and online competition regulations-do not discriminate against U.S. companies, and to promoting the cross-border transfer of data."
The report also referenced the joint fact sheet from the November 2025 summit between President Lee Jaemyung and President Donald Trump, noting, "Korea has pledged to invest $350 billion (approximately 512 trillion won) to restore U.S. manufacturing capacity in key sectors," and introduced that, as part of this, Korea will invest $150 billion in the shipbuilding industry.
Additionally, the report noted that, under the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Korea has agreed to abolish the annual import cap of 50,000 U.S. vehicles that meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) without requiring further modifications.
According to the report, Korea has also agreed to address non-tariff barriers affecting food and agricultural trade. These commitments include resolving the backlog of market access requests for U.S. horticultural products and streamlining the regulatory approval process for biotechnology products.
The report, submitted to the U.S. Congress by USTR Representative Jamison Greer, stated, "The 2026 America-First trade policy will be further strengthened," and listed as key priorities continued agreements on reciprocal trade programs and securing critical mineral supply chains. It also highlighted the management of reciprocity and balance in trade with China and the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) as core initiatives.
Additionally, the report emphasized that the United States will continue efforts to lower foreign tariffs and non-tariff barriers against U.S. exports. It also stated that investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act will continue to address foreign measures deemed unreasonable or discriminatory by the U.S.
Last month, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled country-specific reciprocal tariffs to be unlawful and invalidated them, President Trump announced he would use Section 301 of the Trade Act as an alternative means of imposing tariffs. Section 301 provides the legal basis for the United States to impose tariffs in response to unfair or unreasonable discrimination by foreign governments.
The report further emphasized that the USTR will work to rigorously enforce reciprocal trade agreements, other trade agreements, and U.S. trade laws. It stated that the implementation of trade agreements will be closely monitored and that comprehensive measures will be pursued to prevent evasion of such agreements.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
