Seoul: Foreign Minister Cho Hyun announced that U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer warned South Korea of potential tariff hikes if no progress is made on non-tariff barriers.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho shared insights from his recent meeting with Greer, highlighting the U.S.'s intent to revert tariffs to 25 percent from the current 15 percent if unresolved issues persist. This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the pending legislation in South Korea's National Assembly.

Seoul has promised a significant investment of US$350 billion in the U.S. to maintain the lower tariff rate. However, the U.S. remains concerned about South Korea's regulatory measures affecting sectors like digital services, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals. Cho revealed that Greer emphasized the need for swift action, stressing the U.S.'s limited bandwidth to focus solely on South Korea amidst broader international trade discussions.

Cho informed lawmakers that the South Korean Cabinet is prioritizing the issue, with plans to address it promptly. Additionally, he confirmed an upcoming U.S. delegation visit to South Korea to negotiate civil uranium enrichment rights, as confirmed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.