This study analyzes the U.S. New Administration’s industrial and
trade policy changes and evaluates their impact on Korean industries,
aiming to develop integrated short- and long-term industrial-trade
strategies. Since the Trump administration’s ...
This study analyzes the U.S. New Administration’s industrial and
trade policy changes and evaluates their impact on Korean industries,
aiming to develop integrated short- and long-term industrial-trade
strategies. Since the Trump administration’s inauguration in January
2025, the global economy faces unprecedented uncertainty and
structural changes in trade markets and supply chains. The U.S. has
adopted protectionist policies centered on ‘America First’ and
reciprocity, fundamentally reshaping the post-WWII free trade order
through unprecedented tariff rates, comprehensive trade pressures
including on allied nations, and advanced manufacturing-focused
industrial reconstruction.
The U.S. tariff policy operates through multiple legal frameworks —
the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Trade
Expansion Act Section 232, and Trade Act Section 301—creating a
multilayered system with structural constraints on legal recourse.
Korean industries face bifurcated impacts: advanced sectors (semiconductors,
batteries, biohealth) present growth opportunities, while
traditional manufacturing (automobiles, steel, petrochemicals) face
structural challenges from high tariffs and strengthened rules of origin.
To respond effectively, Korea should pursue: (1) short-term
strategies including concrete exploration of U.S. cooperation areas,
industrialization countermeasures, and legal-procedural responses; (2)
medium-to-long-term strategies encompassing supply chain diversification,
high-value industrial transformation, and manufacturingservice
convergence models; and (3) overseas investment strategies
linking international expansion with domestic industrial policy to
prevent hollowing-out. These integrated approaches are essential for
Korea to navigate global economic restructuring while maintaining
sustainable competitiveness.