US tariffs: South Korean minister heads to Washington, seeks exemption

South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun will travel to Washington, D.C., from Wednesday through Friday to press again for an exemption from U.S. steel tariffs and discuss ways to boost cooperation in energy and shipbuilding.

This comes less than a week after Deputy Trade Minister Park Jong-won led the first major South Korean government delegation to visit Washington since President Donald Trump’s return to power and called on the U.S. administration to exempt Seoul from steel and aluminum tariffs.

According to the ministry, in a statement, the minister will also meet officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce to discuss ways to boost cooperation in shipbuilding and energy, while also meeting key figures in the U.S. Congress.

The risks from a global trade war have become dangerously real for a trade-reliant economy like South Korea after Trump announced 25% levies on steel and aluminum imports and reciprocal tariffs on trading partners starting in April.

South Korea’s exports in January declined for the first time after an impressive 16-month growth streak and at the sharpest pace in a year due to U.S. tariff uncertainty and unfavorable base effects.