Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun said the government will continue discussions with the United States to minimize the negative impact on South Korean industries of U.S. tariffs on individual items such as automobiles and semiconductors.

The minister was addressing reporters on Sunday at Incheon International Airport upon returning from a two-day trip to Washington for talks with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. 

Ahn said the U.S. is expected to roll out various tariffs along with its reciprocal tariffs on April 2, adding that the South Korean government is preparing for the new tariffs. 

The minister said he communicated to the U.S. side Seoul’s pan-governmental efforts to address nontariff barriers in bilateral trade, adding that many misunderstandings about tariffs have been significantly addressed.

Ahn said that in the meeting with the U.S. energy secretary, the two sides agreed on the need to resolve the issue of South Korea’s inclusion on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List.