South Korean Trade and Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun (center), stands for a photo with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts at the Korea-Japan-China economic and trade ministers’ meeting held in Seoul on March 30, 2025. (Yonhap)
With US President Donald Trump set to announce reciprocal tariffs in early April, the top trade officials of South Korea, China and Japan have come together to voice opposition to trade protectionism. However, this opposition is merely a confirmation of previously stated positions, and it remains unlikely that the three nations will form a united front in the face of Trump’s trade war.
On Sunday, South Korean Trade and Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun met with his Chinese and Japanese counterparts in their 13th trilateral meeting of this kind at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul. This was the first such meeting of the three countries’ top trade officials in six years, the last one being held in Beijing in 2019.
The meeting garnered considerable interest, as South Korea, Japan and China each currently enjoy a trade surplus with the US and will therefore be impacted by the reciprocal tariff regime.
“Uncertainty surrounding world trade has grown in the face of protectionist measures,” Ahn said at the meeting.
“As protectionist trade policies are not the long-term answer, our countries should adopt a three-pronged role to stabilize global trade and allow the World Trade Organization to perform its function so as to increase predictability in world trade,” Ahn added.
Japanese Trade Minister Yoji Muto underscored the importance of “maintaining and bolstering the international trade order based on norms established through cooperation with the WTO and its economic partners.”
The message from China was even more proactive. Speaking to the press on Sunday, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said, “Currently, the global economy is being pressured by unilateralism and protectionism [from the US].”
“South Korea, China and Japan must jointly defend the free trade regime and multilateral trade and oppose unilateralism and protectionism to provide a strong lifeforce to the global economy and prosperity.”
“China wants to join South Korea and Japan and respond to the new challenges in the global economy,” Wang added.
China is effectively extending its hand to South Korea and Japan, both major US allies, in an effort to bring them to Beijing’s side.
However, a Trade Ministry insider called Sunday’s statements “a reiteration of agreements reached last year by the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China in support of global trade and a multilateral trade regime.”
“The reciprocal tariffs [of the US] were not even an agenda item and there was no concrete discussion in that regard,” the official added.
Essentially, each country simply echoed previously held positions.
In a bilateral discussion with South Korea the previous day, China expressed concerns regarding anti-dumping tariffs and customs inspections on Chinese steel.
A Trade Ministry official said, “China relayed its concerns, and we replied that we’re conducting fair, objective and transparent inspections. We said that we guarantee their right to defense and will conduct fair investigations.”
In a joint statement delivered on Sunday, the three countries’ trade officials vowed to make efforts toward “enhancing cooperation on supply chains,” and pledged to “enhance communications among us in the field of export control.”
By Park Jong-o, staff reporter
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