SEOUL, KOREA - In negotiations for a free trade agreement with China, the Korean government demanded to the Chinese government that tariffs in the six areas that Korea has a comparative advantage including displays, info-tech goods, machinery, petrochemical, and steel be eliminated entirely.

 

Woo Tae-hee, Assistant Minister for Trade & Chief Negotiator for FTAs, of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, said on January 10, "Our negotiators asked to the Chinese counterparts that the import duties on six areas in which Korea is in comparative advantage or has potential for preempting the newly emerging Chinese market be removed immediately after the FTA goes into effect or the schedule for tariff elimination be moved up."

 

Mr. Woo had attended the ninth round of the Korea-China FTA negotiations held in Xi'an for five days between January 6 and 10. "I am not allowed to say the details of the demands made by the Chinese representatives as they asked that the details not be revealed. The only thing I can say is the Chinese demands are quite different from ours."