Trade Minister Park Tae-ho has delivered concerns to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) about growing trade protectionism in relation to a legal battle over patent rights between Samsung Electronics and Apple.

In a meeting with newly appointed ITC Chairman Irving Williamson in Washington on Thursday, Park conveyed Seoul’s concerns on trade protectionism, expressing hope for a smooth resolution of the legal battle between Samsung and Apple and other issues involving South Korean companies.

ITC is an independent, bipartisan, quasi-judicial, federal U.S. agency that investigates and determines unfair trade practices, such as subsides or dumping.

The trade minister, who visited the U.S. on Tuesday for a six-day trip, attended the Global Services Summit in Washington and discussed trade liberalization of the service industry.