Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan Visits U.S., to Meet Commerce and Energy Secretaries

According to The Financial News, Minister Kim Jung-kwan of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will conclude his visit to Canada and travel to Washington, D.C., United States of America (U.S.), on the 29th. There, he is scheduled to discuss bilateral trade issues, including President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of tariff hikes.
Earlier, President Trump announced via social media that he would raise reciprocal tariffs applied to Korea, as well as product-specific tariffs on automobiles, lumber, and pharmaceuticals, from 15% to 25%. In response, Minister Kim plans to meet with United States Department of Commerce Secretary Howard William Lutnick and others to confirm the background of these measures, explain Korea’s efforts to date, and urge an amicable resolution of the matter.
Minister Kim will also hold talks with the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary and other officials to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas such as energy and natural resources.
“In close coordination with domestic industry and relevant ministries, we will work with the U.S. side to seek improvements on pending trade issues and continue mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries,” Minister Kim stated.
aber@fnnews.com Reporter Park Ji-young Reporter