By American Policy?
The Ministry of Oceans & Fisheries of South Korea announced on June 15 that it holds its third maritime cooperation meeting with the United States on the following day. Hyundai Glovis and the Korea Shipowners’ Association are scheduled to attend the meeting as well.
It is said that the U.S. will ask the South Korean government and Hyundai Glovis at the meeting to use U.S. ships in exporting Hyundai and Kia vehicles to the U.S. At present, Hyundai Glovis, which is a freight logistics company affiliated with the Hyundai Motor Group, is using 66 vehicle carriers for export to the United States. Hyundai Glovis transported approximately 200,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles from South Korea to the United States last year, when the group exported 640,000 or so cars to the latter.
“The request is for U.S. ships transporting cargoes to South Korea not to return to their home country in an empty state,” a South Korean government official explained, adding, “The same request was made last year but Hyundai Glovis turned it down at that time for logistics costs.”
In addition, the U.S. is expected to ask South Korean shipping companies at the meeting to hire U.S. crew, which is a tall order in that U.S. sailors’ average pay is higher than that of their South Korean counterparts. “The U.S. government mentioned that it would provide subsidies for the difference in pay,” the government official went on to say.