South Korea asks US to exempt it from Trump's tariffs

South Korea has formally filed a request with the Trump administration to exempt it from US plans to impose tariffs on its trade partners, local media reported Friday.

South Korean Deputy Trade Minister Park Jong-won visited Washington this week and met with US officials, according to Yonhap News Agency.

During his meetings, Park highlighted the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that has been in place for over a decade.

Park also sought to arrange high-level meetings in the near future between officials of two countries to promote economic cooperation between Washington and Seoul, said the Trade Ministry.

Under the FTA, South Korea's average tariff rate on imports from the US stood 0.79% in 2024, which is set to drop further this year.

US President Donald Trump has announced a string of tariff measures as part of his "America First" agenda.

He recently signed proclamations to impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, due to take effect on March 12.

Trump has also threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all imported cars.