On the 15th, at the Jeju International Convention Center in Seogwipo City, Jeju, Jeong Ing-gyo, the Head of Trade and Commercial Affairs at the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, greeted Jamieson Greer, the representative of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), just before the opening ceremony of the APEC 2025 Ministerial Meeting. The photo is provided by Yonhap News Agency.
From the 15th, South Korea and the United States have commenced tariff negotiations against the backdrop of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting held over two days in Jeju. The heads of trade from both countries, Minister Ahn Deok-geun of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, and Jamieson Greer of the USTR, are meeting again after their session in Washington, D.C. last month, drawing attention to whether they will reach advanced agreements.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy on the 15th, Minister Ahn and Representative Greer will meet on the 16th in Jeju to coordinate on ongoing trade issues, including tariffs between the two countries.
Representative Greer arrived the day before and conducted working-level meetings in Seoul with Jang Seong-gil, Director of Trade Policy at the Ministry. He then moved to Jeju, where the APEC meeting is taking place, met with Jeong Ing-gyo, and is scheduled to engage in tariff negotiations with Minister Ahn the following day.
Jeong Ing-gyo explained in a press meeting on the 15th before the APEC opening ceremony that when Minister Ahn arrives in Jeju the next day, they plan to collaborate with Representative Greer, having separated and designated specific discussion points for the Minister and himself to address systematically and orderly.
During this negotiation period, Representative Greer is also planning meetings with the shipbuilding industry. He is scheduled to have a closed-door meeting on the 16th in Jeju with representatives from Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. This marks the first instance of the U.S. trade head engaging directly with companies regarding the key U.S. agenda item of bilateral shipbuilding cooperation. Prior to this, Carlos Del Toro, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, visited the Ulsan Shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and the Geoje shipyard of Hanwha Ocean, while Neal Koprowski, Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Korea, visited HJ Shipbuilding & Construction’s Yeongdo Shipyard.
A representative from one of the companies mentioned said the meeting was requested by Representative Greer’s team.
With Greer simultaneously engaging with trade authorities and the shipbuilding sector, there is speculation about the potential advancement of the tariff negotiations between the two countries.
The Trump administration, having prioritized naval reconstruction, also set shipbuilding cooperation as a major agenda in tariff negotiations with South Korea. It is anticipated that Representative Greer’s side will convey specific expectations concerning shipbuilding collaboration, while the Korean government will bring forth demands related to tariff reductions.
However, trade authorities have not disclosed specific stances on the possible linkage between Greer’s visits to shipbuilding companies and the U.S.-Korea tariff negotiations.
Meanwhile, on the afternoon of the 15th, Representative Greer also held bilateral talks with Li Chenggang, China’s Vice Minister of Commerce and International Trade Negotiation Representative. They had previously agreed on a temporary suspension of high retaliatory tariffs, and this was their first meeting since the negotiations related to this agreement were last held on the 12th.
Jeong Ing-gyo also met with Vice Minister Li on the same day to discuss measures for trade and economic cooperation between South Korea and China, including FTA service and investment negotiations. During the meeting, Vice Minister Li emphasized the importance of the multilateral system of global trade and China’s efforts to maintain the global supply chain.
In response, Jeong said, “Both China and the United States are valuable economic partners. It is hoped that issues during the 90-day tariff suspension agreed upon by the U.S. and China in Geneva will be resolved.”