South Korea temporarily exempted from US metals tariffs

By Park Si-soo

The United States will temporarily exempt South Korea from new tariffs on steel imports, a top U.S. trade negotiator said Thursday (local time).

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told a congressional hearing that President Donald Trump authorized a "pause" in the 25 percent tariff on steel and 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports from South Korea and other nations.

Also on the list are the European Union, Argentina and Brazil. Trump earlier exempted Australia, Canada and Mexico.

“The idea that the president has is that, based on a certain set of criteria, that some countries should get out," Lighthizer said in testimony before the Senate Finance Committee, according to AFP.

“There are countries with whom we're negotiating" and there will be "a pause in imposition of tariffs with respect to those countries," he said.

Many countries, including the EU, have warned the White House that they will retaliate forcefully if they are face with tariffs on metals products.

The Trump administration has stressed that the primary target is China, which has long had massive overproduction that has impacted the global market for steel and aluminum, which poses a national security threat to the U.S. economy.