Anchor: The United States will impose 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports. After U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed his plans in another escalation of his protectionist trade policy, acting President Choi Sang-mok met with key officials to discuss how to respond. 
Kim Bum-soo has more.
 
Report: U.S. President Donald Trump says he will announce new 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imported into the U.S.
 
[Sound bite: US President Donald Trump]
“We’ll also be announcing steel tariffs on Monday.”
(Reporter: Tomorrow?)
“On Monday, yeah. Tomorrow.”
(Reporter: What countries will those go on?)
“Everybody. Steel.”
 
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on his way to the NFL Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday, Trump also said he will soon announce reciprocal tariffs.
 
[Sound bite: US President Donald Trump]
“I’ll be announcing, probably Tuesday or Wednesday at a news conference, reciprocal tariffs. And very simply, it’s if they charge us, we charge them.”
(Reporter asking when those tariffs will be launched)
“Almost immediately. But I’ll be announcing the details of it, highly detailed, and it’ll be great for everybody, including the other countries. But if they are charging us 130 percent and we’re charging them nothing, it’s not going to stay that way.”
 
According to data from the U.S. government and the American Iron and Steel Institute, the largest sources of steel imported into the U.S. are Canada, Brazil and Mexico, followed by South Korea.

During his first term in 2018, Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on all steel imports.

However, having signed a free trade pact in 2007, Seoul and Washington agreed not to apply the duties, instead limiting South Korea’s steel shipments to the U.S. to 70 percent of the volume traded between 2015 and 2017.

According to the finance ministry, acting President Choi Sang-mok met with the industry minister and other senior officials Monday morning to discuss ways to respond to Trump’s new tariff plans.

Amid concerns that the U.S. might call for renegotiation of the South Korea-U.S. free trade accord, the ministry did not offer details.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.