Trade chiefs from China, Japan and South Korea renewed their call for an open, fair flow of goods and pledged to deepen economic ties, a few days before the Trump administration is set to unleash fresh tariffs on nations around the world.
South Korea’s Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun and his counterparts, Yoji Muto of Japan and China’s Wang Wentao, discussed a free trade agreement in Seoul on Sunday. While they didn’t signal significant progress toward a pact, the gathering demonstrated increasing willingness among the three countries to strengthen ties as they face the impact of US tariffs.
“We especially recognised the need for ongoing trilateral economic and trade cooperation to effectively address emerging challenges and achieve tangible outcomes in key areas,” the ministers said in a joint statement.
The meeting took place with the US’ 25% levy on car imports set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Washington time on April 3. Both South Korea and Japan are major exporters of vehicles to America.
President Donald Trump is also expected to announce so-called reciprocal tariffs, potentially affecting sectors including semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. Any impact to chip sales would be particularly damaging for South Korea, given they remain a key driver of growth for the export-reliant nation.
The three Asian countries are among those targeted by Trump. While China is in the middle of a renewed trade war with the US, Washington’s broader use of tariffs shows even American allies including Japan and South Korea are not immune to the threats.
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