US tariff refunds, EU packaging rules among wins

Channel tops 10,000 subscribers in under 18 months

KOTRA's Yangjae headquarters. [KOTRA]
KOTRA's Yangjae headquarters. [KOTRA]

Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced Tuesday it had selected five outstanding cases from a competition held from August through October showcasing how exporters used its overseas business and trade information channel, Saegye Issue Tok Tok, to navigate real-world challenges.

Saegye Issue Tok Tok delivers real-time local business and trade intelligence gathered from KOTRA's 132 overseas trade centers and major economic cooperation hubs in the United States, China, Japan and Europe directly to subscribers via KakaoTalk. Launched in March 2025, the channel surpassed 10,000 subscribers in August.

Auto parts exporter CTR had long shipped to the United States under delivered duty paid terms, absorbing US import tariffs itself. When a US court ruled in February that certain tariffs had been unlawfully imposed, opening the door to refunds, CTR initially struggled to find clear information on eligibility and procedures. A step-by-step refund guide distributed through Saegye Issue Tok Tok gave the company what it needed, and CTR recovered $220,000 in May.

Powermax, which exports transformers and generators to the United States, turned to Saegye Issue Tok Tok's trade analysis materials in April after Washington overhauled how it imposes tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper and related derivative products. Because transformers typically take more than six months to manufacture and an average of 45 days to ship by sea, shifts in tariff policy directly affect export costs and cash flow. Using the channel's analysis, Powermax compared its original tariff projections against the revised burden by tariff application date and product category, then adjusted the customs clearance timing of its export shipments accordingly.

Cosmetics exporter Woo & Joo, which supplies products to Poland and other European markets, used Saegye Issue Tok Tok materials on the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation to get ahead of the new rules, incorporating the requirements into packaging design from the product development stage. "By securing trade information in advance through Saegye Issue Tok Tok and applying it to our products, it helped us prevent customs and trade risks and keep our exports on a stable footing," a company official said.

KOTRA said the ability to quickly grasp information that affects export conditions — such as US tariff policy and European environmental regulations — is becoming increasingly important, and that it plans to spread awareness of the results achieved through Saegye Issue Tok Tok.

"In a rapidly changing trade environment, it is critical for companies to quickly understand shifts in overseas policies and regulations and factor them into their business decisions," KOTRA President Kang Gyeong-seong said. "We will share the tariff refund and regulatory response cases confirmed this time so that more companies can benefit, and we will do our utmost to ensure that businesses can receive and use trade and business information directly relevant to their overseas operations quickly and conveniently."


eyre@heraldcorp.com