According to the Yonhap news agency, the South Korean Ministry of Trade said on Tuesday that the South Korean government will submit an application to the World Trade Organization to oppose the U.S. imposing a high anti-dumping duty on Korean washing machines and solar cell manufacturers.
The day before the statement was made by the South Korean Ministry of Trade, President Donald Trump approved the proposed measures proposed by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to impose protective tariffs on imported large domestic washing machines and imported solar cells and modules.
'The United States' decision to impose tariffs on washing machines and solar cells in South Korea is extremely and clearly in violation of the terms of the WTO.' The Minister of Trade of Korea Kim Hyun seong At a meeting held with leaders of related enterprises, he said: 'The U.S. government only takes the action out of consideration of domestic political conditions and fails to comply with international laws and regulations.'
U.S. trade protection measures include a tariff of 20% on imported large domestic washing machines of up to 1.2 million units in the first year and a 50% levy on part of the tariffs. For solar cells, in the first year, imports exceeding 2.5 gigawatts Levy 30% tariff.
U.S. trade protection measures aimed at protecting the domestic industries in the United States from a sharp drop in domestic production caused by the impact or threat of imported commodities, but Kim Hyun-joong said the U.S. International Trade Commission did not clearly demonstrate the increase in the import of Korean goods, Serious damage to the link between.
'If we file a lawsuit with the WTO, we can win the case,' said Kim Hyun-seon, a former WTO Attorney General's secretariat and senior lawyer at the Department of Legal Affairs from 1999 to 2003. 'We will work with other trade protection measures Of the countries to form a united front to actively cope with the trade protection act. '
South Korean technology giant said the high tariffs will limit the choice of US consumers and negatively impact their factories in the United States.
Samsung Electronics said the high tariffs the U.S. government imposed on washing machines would be "a huge loss to consumers and workers in the United States." Samsung built more than 600 U.S. workers at its new facility in South Carolina, USA, on January 12 Japan began production.
'This tariff is a tax on every consumer who wants to buy a washing machine, everybody has to pay more, and choices become less,' Samsung said in a statement. 'Consumer Choice Samsung high-end washing machines, Samsung washing machine is valued for innovation and design.
LG Electronics also regretted Trump's decision and said the ultimate damage will be imposed on U.S. retail outlets and consumers.
LG Electronics is also preparing to operate its washing machine plant in Tennessee months ahead of schedule to ease pressure on U.S. trade protection measures.
'The decision to impose trade protection tariffs on Korean washing machines is expected to have a negative impact on the local economy and the home appliance industry,' LG said in a press release. 'We will take the necessary steps on the local supply chain to maximize Reduce the impact on our contractors and consumers in the United States. '
In contrast, Whirlpool, the maker of US home appliances, the creator of the trade protection petition, welcomed Trump's decision to say it will add 200 full-time jobs to its Ohio-based manufacturing facility.
'This is a triumph for American workers and consumers,' said Whirlpool chairman Jeff Fettig in a press release posted on the company's Web site.
South Korean solar cell makers also expressed concern that their exports to the U.S. market will be severely affected by the U.S. tariff.
"Although the U.S. government has implemented trade protection measures, we will continue to export to the U.S. market and at the same time seek ways to expand our market share in Europe, Japan and Australia," said Gao Han, one of South Korea's leading solar cell manufacturers, Tube said.
The U.S. government's trade remedy is also facing opposition from US-based solar battery makers, who are concerned that rising costs will affect the competitiveness of solar power relative to other renewable energy sources.
The US solar industry association Solar Industry Association (SEIA) said a 30% tariff on imported solar cells and solar panels will leave about 23,000 U.S. workers unemployed this year and could delay or cancel billions of dollars in solar energy investment.
'The tariffs imposed will make solar cell or module production difficult to meet the needs of the U.S. market and will not allow foreign PV companies Suniva and SolarWorld to go bankrupt. This will create a crisis in our booming economy. The crisis will eventually put tens of thousands of hard-working blue-collar Americans out of work, "said Abigail Ross Hopper, President and CEO of SEIA, in a statement.