Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS, President Kim Dae-ja) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS, Minister Oh Yu-kyoung) attended the second WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) meeting of 2026, held from July 7 to 10, 2026. During the meeting, the two agencies held multilateral and bilateral consultations to address export difficulties faced by Korean companies over foreign technical regulations.

At the Committee, Korea raised eight foreign technical regulations as Specific Trade Concerns (STCs), citing their expected impact on Korean semiconductor, chemical, battery, display, and cosmetics exporters. The regulations included the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), Single-Use Plastics Directive, and proposed restriction on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); Indonesia’s National Standard (SNI) certification requirements for tires; and Vietnam’s Draft Decree on the Management of Cosmetics.

At the Thematic Session on Lithium-ion Batteries, Korean experts served as chair and speaker, introducing Korea’s battery industry and leading discussions on industry concerns as companies respond to global battery regulations, including the EU’s Battery Regulation.

“The government will continue to address difficulties faced by Korean exporters due to foreign technical regulations,” KATS President Kim Dae-ja said. “We encourage companies to make full use of the government’s TBT consultation channels to address export difficulties caused by foreign technical regulations.”