Are Trump’s Tariffs a Threat to the U.S.–South Korea Partnership? | Ep. 23

Troy Stangarone, Non-Resident Fellow at the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology, joins KEI President and CEO Scott Snyder to discuss the Trump administration’s tariff framework and how it's reshaping the U.S.-South Korea economic relationship.

The conversation examines the shift away from the KORUS Free Trade Agreement toward sector-specific tariffs and how this change is influencing Korea’s trade and investment strategy. Troy analyzes the implications for automobiles, electric vehicles, semiconductors, steel, and shipbuilding, and discusses how Korean firms are navigating heightened uncertainty while working to remain competitive in the U.S. market.

The discussion also looks at Korea’s efforts to diversify its global trade partnerships, rising competitive pressure from China—particularly in electric vehicles and critical technologies—and the role of new U.S.–Korea investment mechanisms outlined in recent memoranda of understanding. The episode concludes with a deeper look at shipbuilding cooperation, workforce constraints, and the long-term challenge of rebuilding U.S. industrial capacity.

 

Troy Stangarone is a non-resident fellow with the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology. Previously he was the Director of the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy and the Deputy Director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the Wilson Center. Mr. Stangarone specializes in economic and foreign policy relations on the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region.