Washington urges Seoul to address nontariff measures

A Korean delegation led by Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun, second from left, hold talks with a U.S. delegation, led by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, second from right, on the sidelines of the APEC trade ministers' meeting on Jeju Island, May 16. Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

The United States has taken issue with Korea's nontariff measures as part of efforts to address its trade imbalance, a senior trade ministry official said, Monday.

"We discussed six areas, and the U.S. side insists that resolving the trade imbalance must be achieved through mutual agreement," the official told reporters at Government Complex Sejong.

The six areas — trade imbalance, nontariff measures, economic security, digital trade, country of origin and commercial considerations — were agreed upon earlier this month during a meeting on Jeju Island between Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

"The U.S. side continues to stress that the outcome of the agreement should ultimately satisfy Trump and help address the trade imbalance between Korea and the U.S.," the official added.

Korea recorded a $66 billion trade surplus with the U.S. last year, making it the eighth-largest contributor to Washington's trade deficit after China, Mexico, Vietnam, Ireland, Germany, Taiwan and Japan.

In line with this position, the recent technical talks are said to have focused on nontariff measures and commercial considerations.

In March, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released its 2025 National Trade Estimate Report, which listed a wide range of Korea’s nontariff barriers. These include an import ban on U.S. beef from cattle aged 30 months or older, Korea’s "offset" defense trade policy, emissions regulations for imported vehicles and pricing policies for pharmaceuticals.

In response, the Korean delegation underscored the government’s and businesses’ commitment to addressing the trade imbalance and emphasized the need to ease the 25 percent reciprocal tariff on Korean goods, as well as sector-specific tariffs on products such as steel and cars.

“We explained that Korea’s investment in the U.S. contributes to revitalizing American manufacturing and strengthening bilateral industrial cooperation,” the official said. “We also requested that the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement be taken into consideration.”

Korea has continued to request exemptions from reciprocal tariffs, item-specific tariffs on cars and steel, and any additional duties that may be introduced.

Despite the differences, the trade ministry said the talks were productive, allowing Seoul to better understand Washington’s trade stance and priorities.

“Regarding the issues raised by the U.S., we’ve already provided an initial response,” the official said. “We believe the U.S. side now has a clearer understanding of Korea’s position.”

As for the third round of technical talks slated for June, the official said the government will begin discussions with the U.S. side after receiving guidance from the incoming administration following the June 3 presidential election.