South Korea Forms Task Force to Counter US Section 301 Tariff Investigations and Trump Trade Threats

South Korea's Trade Ministry launched a public-private task force today to coordinate a response to the U.S. Trade Representative's new Section 301 investigations targeting unfair trade practices like excess industrial capacity and government subsidies, according to Korea JoongAng Daily and Arirang News. This comes as President Trump pivots from a Supreme Court ruling that struck down his sweeping IEEPA tariffs, imposing temporary 10% global tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act—set to expire July 24 unless Congress extends them—and planning a hike to 15%, as detailed by Katten's trade analysis. South Korea, with its 3.6% share of U.S. imports and an existing Trade and Investment Deal, faces heightened scrutiny alongside nations like China, Japan, and Vietnam, per the American Action Forum's tariff replacement report. USTR Jamieson Greer announced these probes on March 11, accelerating them to align with the tariff deadline, potentially leading to permanent duties without caps, JD Supra reports. Trump's auto sector warnings loom large, building on 2025's 25% Section 232 tariffs on cars and parts from South Korea, Eurasia Review notes. Adding tension, Las Vegas Sun reports Trump urging South Korea, Japan, and others to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran's squeeze on oil routes, risking the allies' $350 billion U.S. trade ties as South China Morning Post warns. Seoul's oil dependence and dollar-settled trades make defiance costly, says Kyungpook National University economist Nah Won-jun. Listeners, with Section 232 probes ongoing into semiconductors and critical minerals—potentially hitting 50% rates by year's end—South Korea must negotiate swiftly to shield exports like autos and electronics. Trump's team eyes these levers to enforce deals, keeping global trade on edge. Thank you for tuning in to South Korea Tariff News and Tracker. Subscribe for the latest updates. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/ Avoid ths tariff fee's and check out these deals https://amzn.to/4iaM94Q This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.