The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has raised its global economic growth forecast for this year, but lowered its economic growth forecast for South Korea. While the organization said that global trade markets such as markets of semiconductors and information technology
The South Korean battery industry, on the brink of achieving an annual export milestone of US$10 billion, has seen a slowdown in its growth momentum. This deceleration is attributed to a reduction in battery demand due to a slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) demand, along with the relocation of produ
The upcoming introduction of Alibaba Group’s B2B shopping platform “1688.com” to the domestic market has raised concerns within the domestic e-commerce industry. The sector is already grappling with the competitive pricing strategies of Chinese direct procurement platforms such as AliExpress and Tem
South Korea’s exports posted double-digit growth in January, led by a recovery in semiconductor exports.Korea’s exports totaled US$54.69 billion in January, while Korea’s imports totaled US$54.39 billion, according to the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE).Exports increased 18 per
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has rejected a summary judgment application by Hugel, which had asserted that there was no dispute in its ongoing legal battle with Medytox over the source of a botulinum toxin strain.According to industry sources on Feb. 1, the ITC’s decision to deny Hu
The U.S. semiconductor equipment industry has voiced the opinion that companies from allied countries, including South Korea and Japan, should also be subject to the same level of comprehensive regulations that they face in the process of exporting to China. There is speculation within South Korea t
Competition to land a nuclear power plant order from the Czech Republic has been reorganized into a two-runner race between Korea and France after the United States has withdrawn from the competition. The scale of the nuclear power plant project has also increased from one to four reactors and the p
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) has set a target of US$700 billion for South Korea’s exports next year, with a plan to attract US$35 billion in foreign direct investment in Korea and US$150 trillion in private investment.MOTIE Minister Ahn Duk-geun said in a briefing at the Sejong
Korean Air has received approval for its merger with Asiana Airlines from Japan’s competition regulator, facing the final hurdle in its quest to become Korea’s megacarrier.The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), Japan’s competition authority, approved the merger of Korean Air and Asiana on Jan. 31.T
In response to a warning from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that the Korean government’s proposed Platform Fair Competition Promotion Act (Platform Act) could violate trade agreements, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) said that it will prick up its ears for stakeholders’ opinions.“We would like
Last year, South Korea achieved a historic high in whiskey imports, surpassing 30,000 tons. In contrast, wine imports decreased by over 20 percent, showing a downward trend for the second consecutive year.According to the trade statistics released by the Korea Customs Service on Jan. 30, the import
Positive tangible results are being made by the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the CF Alliance pursuing a strategy to expand carbon-free power sources in the industrial sector.Major countries such as the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates
Samsung, Kia and other major Korean companies spent a record amount of money on lobbying the U.S. government in 2023 as they prepared for uncertainties in their trade environments.Last year, Samsung Group (Samsung Semiconductor, Samsung Electronics America and Samsung SDI America) spent US$6.3 milli
The Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced that Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo held the 8th Multilateral Trade Strategy Meeting with the MOTIE and related ministries on Jan. 29.In preparation for the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC-13) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to
Four labor unions representing Samsung affiliates, including Samsung Electronics, Samsung Display, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, and Samsung Biologics, will merge to form a consolidated labor union. The launch of this mega labor union is scheduled for the end of this month. The establishment of t
South Korea’s share of China’s import market fell to 6 percent last year. This is the lowest level in 30 years since 5.2 percent in 1993, the year after the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China. South Korea also slipped to third place in the rankings of countries from
Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands at the forefront of the technology supremacy battle between the U.S. and China this year.On Jan. 26, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated in an interview with Reuters that regulations mandating U.S. cloud companies to report foreign customer information fo
EcoPro announced that it exported approximately 107,000 tons of high nickel cathode materials in 2023, up 24.4 percent from 86,000 tons in 2022. EcoPro’s high nickel cathode material exports exceeded 10,000 tons for the first time in 2018 with 16,000 tons and then steadily increased to 18,000 tons i
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced on Jan. 28 that they have published the “JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Weekly Expedition Report” as part of their “Overseas Exhibition Information Provision” series.The 42nd JP Mor
South Korea’s foothold in the Chinese market is narrowing while its dependency on imports from China is growing. The relationship that used to yield the most trade surplus for South Korea with China seems to have reversed.According to the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) on Jan. 28, Chin