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| Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong, right, speaks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, left, in Washington, D.C., in this photo provided by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Wednesday. Kim asked the secretary to exempt Korean cars from possible tariffs. / Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy |
By Baek Byung-yeul
South Korea has asked the United States not to impose a 25 percent tariff on cars that are imported from Korea, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Wednesday.
The ministry said Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong requested an exemption for Korean cars from Section 232 auto tariffs during meetings with high-profile government and Congress officials in Washington, D.C., from Jan. 29 to Wednesday.
Kim called for cooperation and support regarding the tariff issue when meeting with key figures in President Donald Trump's administration including White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
He also met high-profile politicians including Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Congressman Richard Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 has been the main issue of the country's auto industry as U.S. President Trump has used the bill to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to shield U.S. companies from foreign competition.
The U.S. Department of Commerce has been considering tariffs on imported cars and auto parts on national security grounds since May 2018.
Section 232 gives Trump permission to look into whether imports are impacting the national security of the U.S., and the U.S. Department of Commerce is expected to conclude its study and issue a report to Trump sometime this month.
Kim emphasized Korea needs to be excluded from the use of the Section 232 national security investigations on trade because the U.S. interests in extending tariffs on Korean pickup trucks were already reflected through the revised bilateral free trade deal.
With this regard, Kim delivered Korea's concern about possible tariffs and reiterated that the U.S. should exempt Korea from Section 232 for the future-oriented ties between the two countries.
"The U.S. government officials Kim had met recognized Korea's efforts toward economic cooperation, for the two countries and politicians agreed that Korea is different from other countries as it has successful sealed Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement amendment negations," the trade ministry said.
During his visit to the U.S., Kim also asked for the revision of the U.S. import quota rule on Korean steel products.
In addition, in a meeting with politicians, he stressed the need for a higher quota for H-1B visas, a non-immigrant visa which allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign professionals in specialty occupations, in order to offer more opportunities for skilled Korean workers, considering the growing economic ties between the two countries and increasing number of Korean students studying in the U.S.
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