Overview
- The White House proclamation imposes a 25 percent tariff on specified AI-related chips brought into the United States and then reexported, with exemptions for U.S. data centers and non–data center consumer uses.
- Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan convened an emergency meeting and the government pledged all-out efforts to limit harm to Korean chipmakers while gathering input from semiconductor and critical minerals firms.
- Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo delayed his return to continue assessments in Washington after meeting USTR Jamieson Greer, and Vice Trade Minister Park Jung-sung is set to speak with Commerce Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler.
- Yeo said Seoul is preparing for all possibilities as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs IEEPA-based tariffs, warning Washington could shift to authorities such as Section 301 or Section 338 to continue duties.
- Officials pointed to a prior joint fact sheet in which the United States committed to provide Korea semiconductor tariff rates no less favorable than those offered to similarly large trading partners.