Blue House, on 'US's policy to raise tariffs on EU cars': "Analyze impact and respond"

Blue House, on 'US's policy to raise tariffs on EU cars': "Analyze impact and respond"

On 'reduction of US troops in Germany': "Cooperate with the US side for stable stationing of USFK"

Regarding US President Donald Trump's announcement of a policy to raise tariffs on passenger cars and trucks from the European Union (EU), the Blue House stated on the 2nd, "We will monitor related trends, analyze the impact on us, and respond accordingly."

A Blue House official said in a phone call with Yonhap News on the same day, "The government has continuously monitored the follow-up situation of the tariff agreement between the US and the EU."

The official added, "Regarding the Korea-US tariff agreement, the government is continuously discussing implementation plans for follow-up measures through close communication with the US side, and will strive to ensure stable management of Korea-US trade relations."

Regarding the impact of President Trump's announcement on the market competitiveness of Korean products, he replied, "A government-level evaluation of tariff agreements between other countries is inappropriate," and "We will respond based on the principle of securing a balance of interests according to existing Korea-US agreements and ensuring treatment that is not disadvantageous compared to other countries."

Earlier, President Trump announced that the EU was not properly implementing trade negotiations and that tariffs on passenger cars and trucks would be raised to 25% starting next week. This is virtually a return to the pre-trade negotiation level.

There have been interpretations that this was virtually retaliation after European countries such as Germany refused requests to dispatch warships and did not cooperate with the US in its actions against Iran.

Meanwhile, regarding the US Department of Defense's announcement to withdraw approximately 5,000 US troops stationed in Germany, the Blue House stated, "We are noting the review of US military force posture worldwide and the possibility of changes," and "We are closely cooperating with the US side to ensure that USFK can contribute to a robust Korea-US combined defense posture under stable stationing."

Senior Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung also mentioned in a briefing on the 30th of last month that "there are currently no discussions between South Korea and the US regarding the reduction or withdrawal of USFK."