Digital trade tensions take center stage between the U.S. and South Korea

Non-tariff barriers and emerging regulatory clashes remain the main areas of contention in South Korean negotiations even as the 90-day pause on former 25% U.S. tariffs is set to expire on July 9.  

According to South Korean officials, the talks were originally intended to smooth over bilateral trade concerns. However, they have since grown into a larger negotiation touching on digital services regulation, agricultural market access, cost-sharing on defense, and energy cooperation.

Digital trade tensions take center stage

At the heart of the digital trade disputes are South Korea’s pending legislative proposals to rein in the dominance of large tech platforms. The laws are reportedly modeled after the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), and seek to increase transparency, promote fair competition, and protect smaller digital firms.

U.S. lawmakers, however, argue that these measures unfairly target American companies. In a July 1 letter to U.S. trade officials, Congressman Adrian Smith and 42 others criticized the proposals for unevenly affecting firms like Google, Apple, and Meta while leaving out Chinese tech firms such as ByteDance, Alibaba, and Temu.

The South Korean Democratic Party is reportedly considering delaying passage of the digital rules to avoid jeopardizing ongoing trade talks.

The U.S. also raised concerns about content-based fees, which would require content providers like Netflix to pay Korean network usage charges. Also, Google’s export of location-based data, which was previously denied approval in 2016, is under review again, with a decision due on August 11. Apple has also reportedly submitted a similar request.

Agriculture is also a major knot to untie 

Despite being the world’s largest importer of U.S. beef, South Korea maintains a ban on beef from cattle over 30 months old, citing fears of mad cow disease. Washington has called for lifting these restrictions and for wider access to markets for other products, including potatoes and apples.

Farmers in South Korea, however, are pushing back. At a June 30 public hearing, agricultural groups protested any further opening of the market, recalling the 2007 deal that phased in zero tariffs on U.S. beef by 2026.

South Korea’s 500%+ tariff on rice imports has not yet come up in current negotiations.

Defense, industrial cooperation, and energy

Beyond trade, foreign exchange policy and the cost-sharing burden for U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, currently around 28,500 soldiers, are also being addressed through separate channels. 

Although not officially part of the trade talks, these factors weigh on the strategic relationship between the two nations.

South Korea is also emphasizing its industrial contributions to the U.S. economy. Officials point to joint ventures in shipbuilding, AI, batteries, semiconductors, and electric vehicles, arguing that Korean investment helps reduce the U.S. trade deficit.

Energy collaboration is another topic of interest. South Korea has expressed tentative interest in participating in a $44 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska, but officials remain cautious as they claim to need more clarity on the feasibility of the project as the US will be providing the technical information later in the year.

In all of these, the July 9 deadline for the expiration of the tariff pause looms large.

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