**[Tariff Agreement at 15%]**
**No U.S. Demands for Online Platform Law**
**Relaxation of Safety Standards for U.S. Automobiles**
During the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations, the export of high-precision maps from Korea, a key issue among non-tariff barriers, was excluded from discussion. Instead, Korea agreed to ease some non-tariff barriers identified in the U.S. Trade Barrier Report (NTE), such as recognizing equivalence with U.S. automobile safety standards, thus simplifying the export procedures for cars.
On the 31st, Kim Yong-bum, the Presidential Office’s policy director, announced in an emergency briefing that “the high-precision map export and similar topics are separate issues and are not included in the results of this negotiation.” He further clarified that there were no related demands concerning the online platform law, AI chips, or GPU purchases.
The U.S. has previously pointed to Korea’s digital trade barriers as examples of unfair trade practices. In February of this year, Google, a leading U.S. Big Tech company, requested permission from Korea’s National Geographic Information Institute to export a 1:5000 scale map to its data centers overseas. This map displays detailed features such as buildings, roads, and terrain with precision. Since Google does not have a data center in Korea, it needed government approval to use this map.
The Ministry of Land had maintained a cautious stance on the export of high-precision maps, citing significant national security and domestic industry impacts, which is believed to have led to its exclusion from the negotiation agenda. Similarly, the issue of network usage fees for global content providers (CPs), previously highlighted in the U.S.-EU tariff talks when the EU withdrew its position, was also excluded.
However, it seems likely that the U.S. automobile import procedures will be eased by relaxing safety standards. Cars produced to meet U.S. safety standards are expected to be imported without additional requirements. Former U.S. President Donald Trump had previously announced that Korea agreed to accept U.S. cars and trucks.
Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on CNBC on the 31st (local time), stating, “Korea was in a difficult position to actively engage in negotiations due to the recent election, but they made a good proposal yesterday,” adding, “We have removed many of Korea’s non-tariff barriers.”