Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo speaks about South Korea’s strategy in trade negotiations with the United States at a meeting in Seoul on July 3, 2025, in this photo provided by his office. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 4 (Korea Bizwire) — The United States has asked for greater access to the South Korean market for the agriculture, automotive, digital and services sectors during recent bilateral trade consultations, Seoul’s top trade negotiator said Friday.
“In the areas of tariffs and non-tariff measures, the U.S. has urged South Korea to grant improved access in the agriculture, automotive and service sectors, as well as to adopt higher regulatory standards in the areas,” Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said in a meeting of the parliamentary committee on industry and trade.
“In the area of digital trade, the U.S. has requested greater access to the Korean market and non-discriminatory treatment for American companies,” he added.
Yeo reported on the status of Seoul’s ongoing trade consultations with the U.S. Donald Trump administration, as well as its plan for full-fledged negotiations, to the National Assembly in accordance with the necessary procedures for signing a trade agreement under the Act on the Conclusion Procedure and Implementation of Commercial Treaties.
The trade minister did not provide further details on Washington’s requests, but they appeared to refer to a wide range of issues raised in the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) report on foreign trade barriers.
The USTR report had pointed to a number of non-tariff trade measures by Seoul, including its import ban on American beef from cattle aged 30 months or older, emission-related regulations on imported cars, proposed online platform regulations and restrictions on the export of location-based data.
Regarding consultations on the issue of product origin, Washington has called on Seoul to expand the use of U.S.-made materials and equipment, Yeo said.
On the economic security issue, the U.S. has called for measures to bolster supply chain stability and prevent tariff circumvention through third countries. On the commercial front, the Trump administration has urged Korean companies to make larger investments in the U.S. and to increase energy imports from the U.S., according to Yeo.
“The government will respond flexibly, taking into consideration the level of demands from the U.S. side, as well as political and security sensitivities in Korea,” he said.
The trade consultations between Seoul and Washington have been centered around six areas — balanced trade, non-tariff measures, economic security, digital trade, the country of origin issue and commercial considerations — according to Seoul’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
South Korea has been seeking to gain a full exemption or reduction of the Trump administration’s 25 percent reciprocal tariffs for the country, as well as sectoral tariffs on steel, automobile and other imports, by crafting a package deal on tariff and economic cooperation issues by July 8 — when a 90-day pause on the U.S. reciprocal tariffs will end.
To speed up negotiations, the Korean trade minister plans to visit Washington this weekend to meet with USTR Jamieson Greer and other senior U.S. trade officials.
It will mark Yeo’s second visit to the U.S. capital since he took office last month.
“Taking this opportunity, we plan to present our proposals on key issues, as well as ways to promote mutually beneficial industrial cooperation between Korea and the United States,” Yeo said.
“Depending on the progress of the negotiations, we will also actively push for extending the suspension of U.S. reciprocal tariffs, if needed,” he added, vowing to accelerate trade talks and reach an agreement with the U.S. “at the earliest possible date.”
(Yonhap)
