Text Fwd: Trade minister confirms additional U.S. FTA demands 통상부 장관, 미국의 추가 FTA 요구 확인

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Trade minister confirms additional U.S. FTA demands
:Kim admitted KORUS FTA renegotiations which need to revise the existing agreement
Posted on : Nov.17, 2010
By Jung Eun-joo
　　
Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon’s recent briefing at the National Assembly on talks with the U.S. over the South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) has raised concerns over further U.S. demands for revisions. Minister Kim confirmed that the U.S. demanded revisions not only to non-tariff barriers such as safety standards and environmental regulations in the auto provisions, but also to a previously agreed-upon tariff abolition plan during the KORUS FTA renegotiations that took place prior to the G-20 Summit in Seoul.

While attending a meeting of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee on Tuesday, Trade Minister Kim explained the results of his meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Ronald Kirk in Seoul on Nov. 8 to 10.

in regards to the trade ministers’ meeting, “Renegotiation means discussing revisions to the agreement text,” Kim said.

“The U.S. made demands that would require revising the agreement text, and the South Korean government expressed the position that this was unacceptable.”

This marks the first time Kim has acknowledged that the meeting with the U.S. was in fact for renegotiation.

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