Seoul: U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer has arrived in South Korea to participate in the trade ministers' meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies and engage in discussions with South Korea's trade chief this week.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Greer reached Incheon International Airport, situated west of Seoul, at approximately 6:10 p.m. However, he departed the airport without addressing questions from the press. Greer's primary agenda is to attend the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, scheduled for Thursday and Friday at the International Convention Center on Jeju Island.
On Friday, Greer is expected to meet with Ahn Duk-geun, South Korea's minister of trade, industry, and energy, on the sidelines of the APEC meeting. The discussions will likely focus on follow-up actions to the high-level trade consultations held between South Korea and the United States last month in Washington.
The trade talks between Seoul and Washington began in April, with both parties agreeing to develop a "package" deal addressing new U.S. tariffs and economic cooperation issues by early July. This timeline aligns with the expiration of U.S. President Donald Trump's 90-day pause on "reciprocal" duties.
The Trump administration had implemented country-specific reciprocal tariffs, including 25 percent duties on South Korea, starting April 9. However, a 90-day pause was placed shortly afterward to facilitate negotiations. As part of efforts to lower U.S. tariffs on Korean goods, Seoul has reportedly suggested expanding bilateral cooperation in the shipbuilding and energy sectors. There is also speculation about a potential meeting between the USTR and China's new trade representative, Li Chenggang, during the Jeju event.
Earlier this week, the U.S. and China jointly announced a temporary reduction in tariffs for 90 days following a high-stakes dialogue in Geneva. Under this agreement, the U.S. plans to decrease its tariffs on Chinese goods to 30 percent from the current 145 percent, while Chinese tariffs on U.S. goods will be reduced to 10 percent from 125 percent.
The upcoming trade ministers' meeting will see participation from the trade chiefs of 21 APEC member economies, including the U.S. and China, along with senior officials from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The primary agenda items for the meeting include trade facilitation, multilateralism, and sustainable trade, amidst the backdrop of increasing global trade protectionism driven by Washington's tariff policies.