S. Korea concludes 2nd tariff talks with U.S. ahead of presidential election

Trade officials of Korea and the U.S. ended their latest technical talks in Washington, where the U.S. reportedly addressed non-tariff barrier issues.

A tangible deal is expected under the new Korean government.

Moon Ji-young has the latest.

South Korea and the U.S. concluded the second round of working-level consultations in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

These talks come as South Korea seeks to negotiate product-specific tariffs and the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration.

The Korean delegation, led by Chang Sung-gil , Director-General of Trade Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, met with officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

The technical discussions focused on six key areas: balanced trade, non-tariff measures, economic security, digital trade, country of origin, and commercial considerations.

The U.S. side reportedly raised specific issues concerning Korea's non-tariff barriers, as detailed in the USTR's report from late March.

That report listed 21 measures, including restrictions on imports of U.S. beef from cattle over 30 months old, digital trade barriers, and the "offset" defense trade policy.

Washington wants Seoul to lower non-tariff barriers and expand imports from the U.S. to reduce trade deficits.

The South Korean government intends to conclude negotiations with the U.S. after a new president takes office following the upcoming June 3rd election.

"Once the election's over, then the new government, actually the administration team is going to start negotiating. So, if they make too much hasty decisions, and then, if the new government is going to just flip everything, that's going to be super costly in terms of both reputation and also actual time and efforts."

Seoul aims to minimize the rates of the Trump administration's new duties, including 25-percent reciprocal tariffs as well as sectoral tariffs including 25-percent levies on automobiles, steel, and aluminum before July 8th, when Trump's 90-day suspension of reciprocal tariffs ends.

Moon Ji-young, Arirang News.