Seoul:<Text>
The government said Friday it will continue close consultations with the United States to protect national interests after Washington opened new investigations into South Korea and 59 other economies over imports of goods produced with alleged forced labor. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources stated that the government will maintain communication with the U.S. to ensure a balanced profit from its trade deal and that Seoul is treated equally compared to other major countries.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ministry statement followed the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) initiating probes into 60 economies, including South Korea, China, and Japan. These investigations are under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act to assess whether these governments have adequately banned the importation of goods produced with forced labor.
The announcement was made just a day after the USTR began a separate trade inquiry into South Korea and 15 other economies. This inquiry aims to uncover what the USTR describes as "unfair" trade practices related to structural excess capacity and production, also under Section 301.
On Thursday, South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo informed reporters that the USTR's actions seem intended to restore trade-related measures previously imposed on partners. This follows the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down tariffs introduced by former U.S. President Donald Trump. South Korea had faced 15 percent reciprocal duties before last month's ruling and currently faces a 10 percent global tariff, which replaced the reciprocal duties imposed by Washington.
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