South Korea Pledges $350 Billion Investment for U.S. Tariff Cuts

South Korean Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina and U.S. Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg held the 10th Senior Economic Dialogue in Washington on Wednesday to advance economic security and supply chain resilience. The meeting served to implement commitments established during two presidential summits between Lee Jae Myung and Donald Trump in August and October.

At the center of the discussions is a strategic trade and investment agreement where South Korea will invest $350 billion in the United States. This commitment includes a specific allocation of $150 billion for the U.S. shipbuilding sector. In exchange, the United States will reduce reciprocal tariffs on Korean goods from 25 percent to 15 percent.

Beyond trade and tariffs, the two nations focused on collaborating on critical minerals to counter non-market policies and maintain collective competitiveness. The officials also discussed facilitating Korean business travel to the U.S. and using their combined industrial strengths to restore economic stability in global conflict zones.