SEOUL — South Korea’s hopes for a deal to avoid high U.S. tariffs are riding on the strength of its shipbuilding industry and its appetite for American energy, but whether this will be enough is unclear.
South Korea has received priority among the roughly 70 economies that the U.S. government says are seeking tariff talks. Other U.S. trading partners are watching to see whether Seoul will be the first to persuade the Trump administration to agree to back down on “reciprocal” tariffs.