ID :
206417
Sat, 09/10/2011 - 17:57
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/206417
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S. Korean minister hold talks with U.S. officials on free trade deal
SEOUL, Sept. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's commerce minister held talks with U.S. officials in Washington to discuss a bilateral free trade pact and other pending trade issues, his Seoul office said Saturday.
Other topics taken up in talks between Knowledge Economy Minister Choi Joong-kyung and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk included an anti-dumping dispute, it said in a news release.
The South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, signed in 2007 and modified late last year, has yet to be ratified by the two countries' legislatures.
Choi's trip comes days after the U.S. Commerce Department in a preliminary ruling dismissed as groundless Whirlpool Corporation's charges that South Korea's major refrigerator makers had received huge government subsidies.
In March, the Michigan-based manufacturer of home appliances filed a petition with the department against its three South Korean competitors -- LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics and Daewoo Electronics, claiming they took big subsidies and should face countervailing duties.
The Department said the final ruling is due in January.
On his way home, Choi will visit New York where he will pay a courtesy call on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a former South Korean foreign minister, on Saturday, his office said.
Other topics taken up in talks between Knowledge Economy Minister Choi Joong-kyung and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk included an anti-dumping dispute, it said in a news release.
The South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, signed in 2007 and modified late last year, has yet to be ratified by the two countries' legislatures.
Choi's trip comes days after the U.S. Commerce Department in a preliminary ruling dismissed as groundless Whirlpool Corporation's charges that South Korea's major refrigerator makers had received huge government subsidies.
In March, the Michigan-based manufacturer of home appliances filed a petition with the department against its three South Korean competitors -- LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics and Daewoo Electronics, claiming they took big subsidies and should face countervailing duties.
The Department said the final ruling is due in January.
On his way home, Choi will visit New York where he will pay a courtesy call on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a former South Korean foreign minister, on Saturday, his office said.
