Seoul submits opinion letter to USTR office on trade practices investigations and concerns
Published: 16 Apr. 2026, 18:44
![The nameplate of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources at the government complex in Sejong [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/16/e0c7fdbf-3317-4a4d-8863-917e0b24417c.jpg)
The nameplate of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources at the government complex in Sejong [YONHAP]
The Seoul government has submitted a formal opinion letter to the United States on the ongoing probes into Korea and other nations involving what it calls “unfair” trade practices related to structural excess production and forced labor, officials said Thursday.
The letter was submitted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources to the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) ahead of public hearings on the ongoing trade investigation scheduled to begin next month, according to the ministry officials.
In it, the government explained that Korea's industrial structure is based on the principles of a market economy while highlighting the country's ongoing efforts to restructure industries facing global oversupply, such as petrochemicals and steel.
It also stressed that Korea has been working to eradicate forced labor through domestic laws and International Labor Organization conventions that prohibit it, according to the officials.
Last month, the office of USTR launched consecutive trade inquiries into Korea and other major economies to uncover what it calls “unfair” trade practices related to structural excess capacity and production, and their failure to ban forced labor-linked imports under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act.
The move appears to be aimed at restoring trade-related measures Washington had imposed on its trading partners before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down U.S. President Donald Trump's “reciprocal” tariffs, according to Seoul officials.
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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