The South Korean government said Wednesday that a proposed U.S. forced-labor tariff on its exports is unwarranted and should be reconsidered [1, 2].
The dispute centers on the U.S. Office of the Trade Representative's plan to penalize South Korean goods. If implemented, these tariffs could disrupt trade flows for the apparel and textile sectors, which are key components of the bilateral economic relationship.
A South Korean foreign-ministry spokesperson addressed the measure in a statement to the U.S. Office of the Trade Representative [1]. The spokesperson said the proposed tariff lacks sufficient evidence and is therefore unjustified [1].
Seoul argues that the U.S. has not provided enough proof to support the claim that South Korean apparel and textile exports are produced using forced labor [1]. The government maintains that the current evidence does not justify the imposition of such trade barriers.
"The proposed tariff is unwarranted and lacks sufficient evidence," the spokesperson said [1].
The South Korean government is now calling for a diplomatic resolution to avoid an escalation in trade tensions. The administration expressed a desire to resolve the disagreement through official channels rather than through punitive tariffs.
"We urge the United States to reconsider this measure and engage in constructive dialogue," the spokesperson said [2].
“"The proposed tariff is unwarranted and lacks sufficient evidence,"”
This friction highlights a growing trend of the U.S. using trade policy to enforce human rights and labor standards globally. By challenging the lack of evidence, South Korea is attempting to prevent a precedent where administrative tariffs can be applied to strategic allies without a transparent evidentiary threshold, which could otherwise destabilize the textile and apparel supply chains in East Asia.
