South Korea Says Chip Investments Under Discussion with US Amid Tariff Concerns
South Korea says chip tariff talks with Washington will not leave its semiconductors worse off than competitors as investment negotiations continue.
- On Friday, South Korean officials confirmed ongoing bilateral discussions with the United States regarding semiconductor investments and planned chip tariffs, aiming to prevent trade issues from hindering each other.
- Washington and Seoul struck a deal last year involving $350 billion in South Korean investment, promising tariff rates "no less favourable" than terms offered to any other competitor with comparable chip trade volume.
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced a "targeted, thoughtful tariff policy" for semiconductor imports this week, creating pressure for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which supply memory chips for American AI infrastructure.
- Officials acknowledged that various bilateral issues, including stalled talks on a nuclear-powered submarine program, are "sometimes affecting each other," meaning semiconductor concessions may be traded against defense questions.
- Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan anticipated that related issues could be concluded sometime this month, suggesting a potential announcement regarding the first investment project under the bilateral trade deal may arrive shortly.
13 Articles
13 Articles
US chip tariffs risk South Korea standoff: Seoul presses Washington for exemptions
In a latest update, South Korea confirmed that it is actively engaging in discussions with Washington regarding semiconductor investments as the U.S. pursues a targeted tariff strategy to...
South Korea says chip investments under discussion with US amid tariff ...
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-kwan is currently conducting negotiations with the U.S. government regarding semiconductor tariffs during his visit to the United States. Amid the U.S. signaling increased tariffs on semiconductors and finished products, the Korean government is responding based on the principle of agreement to secure equal treatment comparable to that of Taiwan in the past, and plans to complete the final procedu…
(Washington = Yonhap News) Correspondent Baek Na-ri = On the 3rd (local time), Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-kwan [regarding] Korea... in relation to the semiconductor tariffs being reviewed by the Donald Trump administration.
South Korea and the United States negotiate investments in semiconductors while Washington prepares a specific tariff policy for imported chips. The result could define the expansion conditions of Samsung and SK Hynix in the US market.
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