State-run trade agencies in South Korea have committed to diversifying the country’s export items and aiding corporate investments in the United States as part of a bilateral trade agreement. The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the Korea Trade Insurance Corp. (K-SURE) outlined their strategies for 2026 during a policy briefing to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Resources. KOTRA aims to expand beyond the current focus on semiconductor, automobile, and shipbuilding sectors by establishing new teams for overseas certification of consumer goods and enhancing overseas logistics centers for Korean businesses.
K-SURE plans to provide low-interest loans totaling 49 trillion won (US$33.3 billion) by 2030, including an 8 trillion-won program for this year, to support companies investing in the U.S. In line with the trade pact signed in October, South Korea has committed to investing $350 billion in the U.S., with $150 billion earmarked for bilateral shipbuilding cooperation and $200 billion for collaboration in advanced industries, in exchange for tariff reductions. Additionally, K-SURE intends to create a 25 trillion-won financial package for shipbuilders participating in the “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again” initiative and establish a communication channel between the government, K-SURE, and major shipbuilders.
The U.S. Supreme Court did not issue a ruling on President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs on trading partners, including South Korea, as anticipated. Speculation had mounted following the court’s announcement of a session earlier in the week, with expectations of a decision on the legality of Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 to impose country-specific tariffs. However, the court only released a document related to a criminal case on its website, without any mention of the anticipated ruling.
