Korean businesses across the board on Tuesday registered a catalogue of demands for a planned free trade agreement with the U.S. in writing when opponents of the pact scuppered a second public hearing. The government promised to review industry demands, ranging from continuing protection at home to full opening of the American market for their products, before the second round of negotiations with the U.S. in Seoul next month.
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Members of Korean Alliance against the Korea-U.S. FTA occupied the platform and demanded the release of documents recording agreements during the first round of FTA negotiations in Washington earlier this month.
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Among the catalogue of demands, the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association wants the government to prevent imports of Japanese cars produced in the U.S. Samsung Electronics on behalf of the electronics industry argued it should be left up to businesses to decide methods of proving Korea as the place of origin of products. The Korea Fruit Agricultural Cooperative Federation wants apples and pears to be excluded from the list of agricultural products subject to market opening.
The Korea Federation of Textiles Industries is calling for the abolition of U.S. tariffs on Korean textiles and easing of standards for defining place of origin to allow them to use Chinese-made yarn. The Korea International Trade Association says Seoul and Washington should scrap anti-dumping measures when the FTA takes effect.
The planned meeting between officials and business representatives was hijacked by a coalition of opponents called the Korean Alliance against the Korea-U.S. FTA and farmers’ groups.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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