South Korea requests US exclude Seoul from new tariff plan

ISTANBUL

South Korea filed a request with the US government to not include Seoul in Washington’s new tariff plans, said the Industry Ministry Saturday.

US President Donald Trump had announced a string of tariff measures as part of his "America First" agenda.

Last month, he signed proclamations to impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, due to take effect on March 12.

South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun during a meeting with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick conveyed the East Asian nation's companies’ worries over the new tariff system and called on US for an exempt from the new tariffs, the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported citing the Trade, Industry and Energy Ministry.

They also discussed strengthening partnership in areas like shipbuilding and advanced industries.

“South Korea will work to earn the best results from systematic and earnest negotiations with the US on new industry, trade and energy policies based on our experience of successfully responding to the US CHIPS Act and Inflation Reduction Act in the past," Ahn said in a press release, according to the news outlet.

The US is an important trading partner of South Korea, which exports a variety of products such as cars, machinery, and electronics.

Seoul last year had $66 billion trade surplus with Washington, according to US government data.