Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister Kim Jung-kwan) chaired the Public-Private Meeting on Strengthening Responses to Trade Barriers on Tuesday, November 18, at Seoul Trade Tower. The meeting was attended by representatives from the government, industry associations, and related organizations.

Through recent meetings and site visits with the K-beauty and K-fashion industries, Minister Yeo heard firsthand that non-tariff barriers—such as certification and customs clearance requirements—pose significant challenges to Korea’s consumer goods exports in both advanced and developing markets. Building on these field insights, the meeting conducted a comprehensive review of Korea’s current trade barrier response system and held in-depth discussions on improvement measures.

MOTIR announced that it will work jointly with relevant ministries and agencies to publish the Korean version of the National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report in the first half of next year. The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), based on U.S. trade law, publishes the National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report on Foreign Trade Barriers every year, assessing the trade environment and major tariff and non-tariff measures in approximately 60 trading partners. MOTIR also plans to analyze foreign measures that disadvantage Korean firms and compile key findings into a consolidated “Trade Barrier Database” to improve industry access and usability.

MOTIR will also institutionalize the Public-Private Trade Barrier Response Council to convene twice a year, enabling systematic information-sharing and coordinated response strategies. Progress on bilateral dialogues, FTA joint committees, and other relevant discussions will be monitored through quarterly review meetings to ensure a seamless public-private response mechanism to trade barriers.

Trade Minister Yeo emphasized that “although the Korea–U.S. tariff negotiations have been concluded, the global trade environment has entered a structural new normal, requiring more assertive trade policies to address trade barriers. As the control tower, the Ministry of Trade will mobilize public and private capabilities and actively support the overseas expansion of K-beauty and K-fashion companies.”

MOTIR will also launch a dedicated task force within the year to prepare the Korean NTE Report.