US Trade Representative Visits South Korea for APEC Trade Talks

Seoul: US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer arrived in South Korea on Wednesday to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers’ meeting and hold discussions with Seoul’s top trade officials.

Greer will attend the APEC trade ministers’ meeting, scheduled for Thursday and Friday at the International Convention Center on Jeju Island, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. During his visit, he will also meet with Ahn Duk-gyun, South Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The discussions between Greer and Ahn are expected to focus on follow-up measures to high-level trade consultations held in Washington last month. These consultations aimed to finalize a “package deal” addressing new US tariffs and broader economic cooperation. The two countries have been working toward an agreement before the July deadline, which marks the end of a 90-day moratorium on US-imposed “reciprocal” tariffs.

The Trump administration had introduced a 25 percent tariff on South Korean imports, effective April 9, but temporarily paused enforcement for 90 days to allow room for negotiations. In response, South Korea has proposed expanding bilateral cooperation in sectors like shipbuilding and energy to help ease the tariff burden on its exports.

Observers are also watching for a potential meeting between Greer and China’s new trade representative, Li Chenggang, on the sidelines of the APEC summit. Earlier this week, the US and China announced a temporary tariff reduction agreement. The US will lower tariffs on Chinese goods from 145 percent to 30 percent, while China will cut its tariffs on US goods from 125 percent to 10 percent. These reductions will remain in place for 90 days while further negotiations continue, ahead of a planned summit in Geneva.

Team Maverick.