Park Jung-sung, vice minister for trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, speaks at a joint emergency meeting on US Section 232 polysilicon tariffs held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy]
Park Jung-sung, vice minister for trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, speaks at a joint emergency meeting on US Section 232 polysilicon tariffs held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy]

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Tuesday that Vice Minister for Trade Park Jung-sung chaired a joint emergency meeting with related ministries and industry representatives at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul, to coordinate a response to US polysilicon tariffs.

The meeting brought together officials from the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy alongside representatives from Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Qcells, OCI, SK Siltron and the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association.

The session was convened to assess the impact of the US tariff measures on Korean companies' exports to the United States, examine supply chain effects on Korean firms operating and investing there, and explore countermeasures.

The US government announced Thursday that it would introduce a minimum import price system for polysilicon and its derivatives — key materials for semiconductors and solar panels — and impose a 15 percent tariff on polysilicon derivative products under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.

The government plans to work closely with industry and actively engage Washington through bilateral consultations to minimize the impact of the measures on Korean companies and their exports.

"We will closely examine the short- and long-term effects of these measures on our industry and do our utmost to provide the necessary government support at the right time and in the right place," Park said.


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