US and South Korea hold chip talks after Lutnick remarks
South Korea and the US are deep in talks about chip investments after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Washington was planning a "targeted, thoughtful tariff policy" on semiconductor imports.
Both sides are trying to make sure these rules don't mess with ongoing deals between them.
South Korea's $350B US manufacturing pledge
With Samsung and SK Hynix leading the charge, South Korea is a huge part of the world's chip supply, especially as US tech companies ramp up their AI game.
Back in 2025, South Korea committed $350 billion to boost US manufacturing.
The good news for Korean chipmakers? They're promised fairer tariff treatment compared to any other competitor with an equal or larger volume of chip trade.
Meanwhile, talks about South Korea's nuclear-powered submarine project (also from last year's deal) haven't made much progress yet.