US-South Korea trade talks cancelled due to Bessent schedule, ministry says
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks during a press conference following a weekly policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington DC in June.
SEOUL - Talks between top South Korean and US officials to negotiate over US President Donald Trump's tariffs have been cancelled due to a scheduling conflict for US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, South Korea's finance ministry said on July 24.
The two sides will reschedule the meeting between Mr Bessent and South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol, as well as the top trade envoys of both countries, as soon as possible, the ministry said.
Mr Koo was set to board a flight for Washington on July 24 to attend the meeting on July 25 in the hope of hammering out a deal that would spare Asia's fourth-largest economy from
Mr Trump's punishing 25 per cent tariffs set to take effect on Aug 1.
Pressure on South Korea heightened this week after
Japan clinched a deal with the United States, which Mr Trump said would see Tokyo allowing greater market access for American products including autos and some agricultural products.
Mr Koo had said on July 22 that Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo and him would hold talks with US counterparts at the request of the American officials.
Trade envoy Yeo and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, who have travelled to Washington this week, have been meeting with US officials as scheduled, the South Korean government said. REUTERS
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