Seoul, May 7 || South Korea has asked the United States to make "special consideration" of its chip exports as the Donald Trump administration is moving to impose tariffs on imported semiconductors, Seoul's industry ministry said on Wednesday.
The South Korean government submitted a written opinion to the U.S. administration regarding Washington's national security investigation into semiconductor imports under the U.S. Trade Expansion Act, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, reports news agency.
The Trump administration has been looking to impose new tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, with investigations into such imports currently under way.
In its submitted opinion, the Seoul government called for "special consideration" of Korean semiconductor exports to the U.S., saying that semiconductors and manufacturing equipment made in Korea have "very limited" impact on the U.S. security and supply chains.
The written statement also said Washington's potential tariffs on chip imports may have a "negative" influence on Korean companies' investment plans in the U.S., including those for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
Seoul also highlighted that the trade balance between the countries in the semiconductor sector is nearly equal, according to the ministry.