U.S. Section 301 Tariffs Loom as Seoul Launches Washington Push

South Korea has stepped up diplomatic and industry outreach in Washington as uncertainty grows over possible U.S. trade measures under Section 301 of the Trade Act.

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo visited Washington, D.C, from July 21 to 24, meeting senior officials from the U.S. administration, Congress and major industries. The talks focused on bilateral economic relations, possible Section 301 measures and concerns surrounding South Korea’s digital laws and policies.

Yeo met 10 U.S. senators and representatives, including Senator Bill Hagerty and Representative Adrian Smith, chairman of The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade. He emphasized that South Korea is one of the largest investors in the United States and an essential economic partner in semiconductors, shipbuilding and energy.

He also explained that South Korea’s digital regulations are not intended to discriminate against American companies. During meetings with representatives from Google, Apple, AWS, Qualcomm and other companies, Yeo listened to their concerns and outlined the Korean government’s position.

The outreach also covered the biotechnology, financial and automotive sectors. Participating companies included Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Organon, Bristol Myers Squibb, MetLife, Chubb and General Motors.

On July 21, Yeo met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer ahead of the July 24 legal deadline for the 10% tariff imposed under Section 122 of the U.S. Trade Act. He asked about possible follow-up measures, including a Section 301 investigation, and stressed that the balance of benefits under Korea-U.S. tariff agreement should be maintained.

Yeo said South Korea and the United States remain indispensable partners with significant potential for cooperation in strategic industries. The Korean government plans to continue managing tariff and non-tariff issues to prevent them from affecting the broader bilateral economic relationship.