Seoul airs concern over U.S. probe on S. Korean fridges

SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has expressed its concerns to the United States over Washington's recent decision to launch an anti-dumping investigation on South Korean refrigerators, officials here said Monday.
Seoul's concerns and regrets were conveyed at the countries' biennial trade consultation meeting held in Washington from Thursday to Friday, said officials at the trade ministry.
"The government expressed its regrets over the decision of the U.S. Department of Commerce to launch an anti-dumping probe and pointed out that the upcoming investigation must be conducted fairly and objectively in accordance with World Trade Organization regulations," a ministry official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The U.S. International Trade Commission on Friday announced its decision to launch the proposed probe, accepting a petition from U.S. home appliances manufacturer Whirlpool Corp. that claimed the Seoul government was providing unfair subsidies to South Korea's refrigerator manufacturers.
The probe will affect South Korea's two leading manufacturers -- Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc.
At the bilateral trade meeting, Seoul also urged Washington to make sure the latter's move to strengthen safety regulations on air shipments of lithium-ion batteries will not place too much of a burden on South Korean exporters, the government official said.
Washington, on the other hand, asked Seoul to allow the operation of large motorcycles on highways, a move that would help increase the United States' exports of two-wheeled vehicles, he added.