South Korea’s chief trade negotiator met with the U.S. Trade Representative on Saturday to request an extension of the reciprocal tariff suspension and to propose a roadmap for bilateral manufacturing cooperation, the trade ministry said in a press briefing Sunday. With the current 90-day grace period set to expire on July 9, trade minister Yeo Han-koo held talks with USTR Jamieson Greer, emphasizing Seoul’s desire to avoid abrupt tariff hikes on key exports such as automobiles and steel.

Yeo stressed that any final agreement must include either the elimination or reduction of U.S. tariffs on strategic items and proposed strengthening