S. Korea, U.S. to hold working-level tariff talks in Washington this week

SEOUL, May 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will hold a second round of technical discussions this week over Washington's sweeping reciprocal tariff measures, Seoul's trade ministry said Tuesday, as both sides aim to reach a "package" agreement by early July.

A South Korean government delegation, led by senior ministry official Jang Sung-gil, has left for Washington for a three-day negotiation session set to begin Tuesday (local time), according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

"In this round of technical talks, we will focus on areas that have been discussed so far and pursue mutually beneficial outcomes, prioritizing national interest," Jang said before his departure.

The two sides were to discuss six key areas of trade imbalances, non-tariff measures, economic security, digital trade, country of origin of products and commercial considerations, according to officials.

This week's discussions come roughly three weeks after the first round of working-level talks held May 1.

The schedule for the second round was finalized following ministerial-level talks between the two countries on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers' meeting held on South Korea's southern island of Jeju on Friday.

South Korea's Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun and Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo each held separate meetings with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer. During the meetings, Seoul reiterated its request for a complete exemption from the tariff scheme.

Last month, the U.S. began imposing reciprocal tariffs on partner nations, including 25 percent duties on South Korea, only to pause them shortly afterward to allow for one-on-one negotiations.

Seoul and Washington subsequently agreed to work toward a "package" deal on trade and other related issues before July 8, when Trump's 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs is to expire.

The upcoming round is expected to be the last in-person consultation between the two countries before South Korea's presidential election June 3.

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