Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Minister Meets U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on July 24 (local time) in Washington, D.C. to discuss progress in bilateral tariff negotiations and ways to enhance industrial cooperation. date2025-07-28

Minister Meets U.S. Secretary of Energy

Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on July 23 (local time) in Washington, D.C. to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. date2025-07-28

KTC Recommends Provisional Anti-Dumping Duties on Hot-Rolled Products from Japan and China

The Korea Trade Commission (KTC) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) held its 462nd session today to review two anti-dumping cases and two patent infringement cases in international trade, and received a report on one newly initiated patent infringement investigation. The KTC examined ongoing anti-dumping investigations launched in March 2025 on hot-rolled carbon and alloy steel products from Japan and China, as well as single-mode optical fiber from China. In both cases, the KTC issued preliminary determinations finding dumping and material injury to the Korean industry. To prevent further harm while the investigations continue, the KTC decided to recommend that the Minister of Economy and Finance impose provisional anti-dumping duties of 28.16% to 33.57% on hot-rolled products from Japan and China, and 43.35% on single-mode optical fiber from China. In a patent-related trade case, the KTC revisited a complaint filed by Wyeth LLC concerning alleged infringement of its pneumococcal conjugate vaccine patent. The KTC had found infringement in February 2024, but a recent administrative court ruling overturned that decision. Accordingly, the KTC issued a new determination of non-infringement in line with the court’s ruling. The KTC also received a report on a new investigation launched on a complaint filed in June 2025 by Korean company Value Innovation Partners Co., Ltd. over alleged patent infringement involving connected electric vehicles. date2025-07-25

MOTIE and Hyundai Motor Group Sign MOU

Trade, Industry and Energy Vice Minister Lee Hohyeon attended the signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)  between the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and Hyundai Motor Group on July 22 at Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang in Gyeonggi Province. The event was organized to establish cooperation for providing eco-friendly vehicles, including hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs), during Energy Super Week.  Before the ceremony, Vice Minister  Lee toured the exhibition space inside the studio. Through this MOU, MOTIE and Hyundai Motor Group will support the provision of eco-friendly vehicles for ministerial-level delegates, representatives, and international organizations participating in the APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting . Attendees included officials from MOTIE and Hyundai Motor Group, among them Dongwook Kim, Executive Vice President  of Hyundai Motor Company.  date2025-07-23

Vice Minister meets Czech Industry and Trade Minister

Korea's Trade, Industry and Energy Vice Minister Lee Hohyeon met Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček on July 18 in Seoul to discuss bilateral cooperation in nuclear, industries, energy, and infrastructure. date2025-07-21

Korea and India discuss steel cooperation

Korea's Deputy Minister for Industrial Policy Lee Seung-ryeol met Sandeep Poundrik, India’s Secretary at the Ministry of Steel, on July 18 in Seoul to discuss Korea-India steel cooperation as well as local issues faced by Korean exporters. date2025-07-21

Korea and Cambodia Launch First Article 6.2 Climate Project

Korea has officially launched its first carbon mitigation project under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, in partnership with the Kingdom of Cambodia. The project was authorized by the Cambodian government on July 18, 2025, and commemorated at an official ceremony on July 21, 2025, in Phnom Penh, marking a major milestone in Korea’s global climate action and bilateral cooperation. The approved project, led by Korean private company VeryWords, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Cambodia’s transport sector through the deployment of electric motorcycles and the development of charging infrastructure over a ten-year period (2025–2034). The project is expected to reduce 680,000 tCO2eq, of which 400,000 tons will be transferred to Korea and counted toward its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). “This is the first approved outcome of Korea’s investment support program, launched in 2023, which provides upfront financing to Korean companies and recovers the investment later in the form of carbon credits,” a MOTIE official said. Article 6.2 in Action: From Framework to Implementation The Ministry of Environment of Cambodia issued a Letter of Authorization (LOA) under its national Article 6 governance framework, officially allowing the project to commence operations in accordance with Cambodia’s rules and procedures. The LOA followed work by a joint working group involving Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment, and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). On the Korean side, KOTRA and the Korea Energy Agency (KEA) also took part. The group reviewed key project elements, including the methodology, total emission reductions, and allocation ratios, laying the groundwork for the official authorization. Advancing Structural Cooperation Through High-Level Dialogue Building on this achievement, Korea and Cambodia are working to expand cooperation beyond individual projects. On July 21–22,2025, high-level bilateral meetings and an International Mitigation Forum were held in Phnom Penh to discuss future collaboration in the transport sector. MOTIE held bilateral meetings with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) and the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) of Cambodia, focusing on government-to-government partnerships in the transport sector.   The forum also brought together key stakeholders from government, industry, and international organizations to discuss future mitigation projects and ways to align carbon market strategies. “This project shows that bilateral cooperation under Article 6.2 is moving into implementation,” said the MOTIE official. “By aligning Cambodia’s policy leadership with Korea’s technology and investment, the two countries are laying the groundwork for scalable, long-term climate partnerships beyond individual projects.” date2025-07-21

Eco-Friendly Vehicle Exports Set Monthly Records for Third Consecutive Month in June

Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced today that electric vehicle exports, including hydrogen vehicles, reached $780 million in June – an increase of 11.2 percent year-on-year, marking the first return to growth in 16 months since January 2024. Signaling a positive turnaround in EV exports, total exports of eco-friendly vehicles rose 18.6 percent from a year earlier to $2.2 billion, setting a new monthly record for the third consecutive month. Overall automobile exports also rebounded in June after two months of decline, reaching $6.34 billion (up 2.3 percent year-on-year), the highest export value ever recorded for the month of June. By model, GM Korea’s Trax (28,797 units) and Trailblazer (15,747 units) continued to show strong export performance, ranking first and fifth, respectively. Hyundai’s Kona (21,399 units) and Palisade (15,947 units) also performed well, ranking second and fourth, respectively, underscoring the sustained strength of SUV exports. Electric vehicle exports also contributed to the rebound, with approximately 22,000 units exported – a 21.4 percent increase year-on-year - including 7,903 units of the EV3 and 3,938 units of the Casper EV. By region, exports to the U.S. declined by 16.0 percent year-on-year to $2.69 billion. In contrast, exports to the European Union rose for the third consecutive month. Notably, exports to Germany surged to $150 million (up 137.8 percent), and to the Netherlands to $90 million (up 89.8 percent), driven by a combination of factors including a low base effect from last year’s weak performance, robust EV export growth, and the establishment of KG Mobility’s European sales subsidiary in Germany in August 2024. Exports of automobile parts rose to $1.8 billion in June, marking a 2.5 percent year-on-year increase. Growth was observed in key markets such as the U.S. (up 6.3 percent to $680 million) and the Czech Republic (up 4.9 percent to $70 million), where Korean automakers operate local manufacturing plants. Significant growth was also recorded in emerging markets such as Kazakhstan (up 208 percent to $40 million), driven by strong demand for aftermarket parts. Domestic automobile sales in June 2025 increased for the fifth consecutive month, reaching 146,000 units - up 5.8 percent year-on-year. Of this total, sales of domestically produced vehicles rose to 117,000 units (up 6.2 percent), while imported vehicle sales reached 29,000 units (up 4.0 percent). Sales of eco-friendly vehicles maintained their upward trajectory for the 16th consecutive month, accounting for nearly half (49.8 percent) of total domestic sales. Notably, domestic EV sales exceeded 20,000 units for the second month in a row, following their recovery to the 20,000-unit mark in May— the first time in 14 months since March 2024. Automobile production in June 2025 remained largely unchanged from the same period last year, recording a slight decline of 0.1 percent. This was due to increased domestic sales of domestically produced vehicles (up 4.8 percent) being offset by a decrease in exports (down 3.1 percent). Notably, pickup truck production surged to 23,000 units – an 853 percent increase - driven by the launch of new models such as Hyundai’s Tasman and KGM’s Musso EV. This led to substantial growth in both domestic sales (up 131 percent) and exports (up 850 percent). In the first half of 2025, Korea’s automobile industry recorded a 3.8 percent year-on-year decline in exports, totaling 1.41 million units. This decrease was primarily attributed to increased overseas production by Korean automakers and a base effect following strong performance in the previous year. However, the decline in overall production was relatively moderate, falling by 1.6 percent to 2.11 million units, supported by a 3.5 percent increase in domestic sales, which reached 830,000 units. Growth in the domestic date2025-07-18

FICs and Research Institutions Partner for R&D and Technology Sharing

Director General for Investment Policy Ryu Peob-min attended a technology exchange today at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) between 10 foreign-invested companies (FICs) and 15 domestic public research institutions, held with an aim to foster Korea’s innovation ecosystem by leveraging the R&D capabilities of global FICs. Director General Ryu stated that the ministry plans to launch joint programs involving public research institutions for the establishment of a global R&D center for FICs with leading technologies, while pushing to expand exclusive R&D initiatives for FICs to promote the active participation of global corporations.     date2025-07-15

FICs and Domestic Research Institutions Partner for R&D and Technology Sharing

Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) hosted a technology exchange at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Seoul on July 15, 2025. The event brought together foreign-invested companies (FICs) and domestic public research institutions to foster Korea’s innovation ecosystem by leveraging the R&D capabilities of global FICs. of the exchange involved 10 FICs and 15 domestic research institutions and was first proposed by FICs during the Global Foreign Investment Company and Public Institution Roundtable in May 2025 as a way to build an R&D cooperation system through technology exchanges with leading researches at public institutions. At the event, participants took stock of technological progress in advanced industries, shared recent development trends, and explored future collaboration opportunities. MOTIE is pursuing supportive policies, such as expanding cash incentives for FIC-exclusive R&D projects and improving regulations, to attract investments in a major global business R&D center. The center would facilitate continued investment by FICs’ parent companies and the transfer of leading technologies currently unavailable in Korea.  At today’s exchange, FICs and public institutions shared technologies, held one-on-one consultations to identify potential joint projects, and discussed tangible cooperative measures. Director General for Investment Policy Ryu Peob-min stated that the ministry plans to launch joint programs involving public research institutions to support the establishment of a global R&D center for FICs with leading technologies, while expanding exclusive FIC-only R&D initiatives to promote the active participation of global corporations. date2025-07-15