S. Korea sees leverage in shipbuilding and LNG with U.S. trade talks

South Korea is betting on its shipbuilding capabilities AND its potential to purchase more American LNG to seal a tariff deal with the U.S.

This is according to Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul while speaking in Vietnam on Thursday the final day of his three-day visit there for trade talks.

Pointing out that the Trump administration itself had underscored these two sectors Minister Cho shared hopes to leverage them during bilateral tariff negotiations in Washington next week.

South Korea is the world's second-largest shipbuilder after China and it faces a 25-percent U.S. reciprocal tariff while Vietnam faces a 46-percent tariff.