(LEAD) Industry minister urges U.S. to ease tariffs on hard-to-source steel mill equipment

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(ATTN: ADDS more details, comments in paras 7-8, 12, additional photos) By Choi Kyong-ae

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's industry minister urged the United States on Saturday to ease tariffs on equipment that Korean companies will need to import for a US$5.8 billion steel mill in Louisiana they are investing in.

Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan made the request at a meeting with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry before attending a groundbreaking ceremony for Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel LLC (HPLS), an electric arc furnace-based integrated steel mill scheduled to begin construction in the fourth quarter, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said in a press release.

HPLS is a joint venture among Hyundai Motor Group affiliates Hyundai Steel Co., Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., and steelmaker POSCO.

Foreign steelmakers in the U.S. face tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows the U.S. president to adjust imports deemed to threaten national security, as well as other trade remedy measures, the ministry said.

South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan (L) shakes hands with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, on Sept. 4, 2026, on the sidelines of a groundbreaking ceremony for a Hyundai Steel-POSCO Louisiana electric arc furnace steel mill, in this photo provided by Kim's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Kim urged Washington to pay close attention to difficulties facing Korean companies investing in the U.S. and support the project by easing tariffs on equipment and materials that need to be shipped from South Korea.

Kim also stressed the importance of the project, which is expected to strengthen supply chain cooperation between the two countries by combining South Korean steelmaking technology with U.S. industrial and energy infrastructure, the ministry said.

The plant is expected to produce 2.7 million tons of hot-rolled, cold-rolled and galvanized steel annually, making it the first electric arc furnace-based steel mill in the United States dedicated to automotive steel production.

It will use direct reduced iron and electric arc furnaces to cut carbon emissions by about 70 percent compared with conventional blast-furnace production, according to Hyundai Steel.

The plant will supply automotive steel to global automakers' production facilities in the southern U.S. and Mexico, including those operated by Hyundai Motor and Kia.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, POSCO Group Chairman Chang In-hwa and South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Kang Kyung-wha attended the groundbreaking ceremony.

Chung said automotive steel produced at the Louisiana plant would help Hyundai and U.S. automakers develop next-generation mobility solutions.

"It will also contribute to building critical industrial infrastructure, from AI data centers to power generation, and creating safer workplaces," Chung said. "We will create new opportunities and strengthen our capabilities for future generations in both the U.S. and South Korea."

Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said Hyundai Steel "is already showing the scale of what transformational investment can mean for Louisiana."

"This project is creating work for Louisiana companies, building a workforce around high-value manufacturing and driving new activity across the region before production has even begun," the official added.

The project is part of Hyundai Motor Group's $26 billion U.S. investment plan announced last year.

Hyundai Steel said in March 2025 that it would invest $5.8 billion to build its first steel mill in North America, with commercial production scheduled to begin in 2029.

POSCO has taken a 20 percent stake in the project. Hyundai Steel, Hyundai Motor and Kia hold 50 percent, 15 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

Participants perform a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of a Hyundai Steel-POSCO Louisiana electric arc furnace steel mill in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, on Sept. 4, 2026 (local time). The ceremony was attended by South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, POSCO President Lee Hee-keun, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and U.S. Commerce Undersecretary William Kimmitt, among about 250 government and business officials from South Korea and the United States, in this photo provided by Seoul's industry ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

This artist rendering, provided by Hyundai Steel Co., shows Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel LLC (HPLS), an integrated steel mill based on electric arc furnace technology, scheduled to start commercial production in Louisiana in 2029. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr (END)

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(LEAD) Industry minister urges U.S. to ease tariffs on hard-to-source steel mill equipment

这将使谷歌能够向您展示与您的搜索匹配或相关的韩联社新闻文章

（注意：新增更多细节，评论见第7-8、12段，并附有更多照片）崔京爱

首尔，9月5日（韩联社）——韩国产业通商资源部部长周六敦促美国放宽对韩国企业为投资路易斯安那州一座价值58亿美元的钢铁厂进口所需设备的关税。

产业通商资源部在一份新闻稿中表示，产业通商资源部长官金正宽在与路易斯安那州州长杰夫·兰德里会面时提出了这一请求，之后他出席了现代浦项制铁路易斯安那钢铁有限公司（HPLS）的奠基仪式。HPLS是一家采用电弧炉的综合性钢铁厂，计划于第四季度开工建设。

HPLS 是现代汽车集团旗下的现代钢铁公司、现代汽车公司和起亚公司与钢铁制造商浦项制铁的合资企业。

该部表示，根据 1962 年《贸易扩展法》第 232 条，在美国的外国钢铁制造商将面临关税，该条款允许美国总统调整被认为威胁国家安全的进口商品，以及其他贸易救济措施。

2026年9月4日，韩国产业通商资源部长官金正宽（左）在路易斯安那州唐纳森维尔出席现代钢铁-浦项制铁路易斯安那电弧炉炼钢厂奠基仪式时，与路易斯安那州州长杰夫·兰德里握手。此照片由金正宽办公室提供。（照片非卖品）（韩联社）

金敦促华盛顿密切关注韩国企业在美国投资所面临的困难，并通过降低从韩国运往美国的设备和材料的关税来支持该项目。

该部表示，金正恩还强调了该项目的重要性，该项目有望通过将韩国的炼钢技术与美国的工业和能源基础设施相结合，加强两国之间的供应链合作。

该厂预计每年将生产 270 万吨热轧、冷轧和镀锌钢，使其成为美国第一家专门生产汽车用钢的电弧炉炼钢厂。

据现代钢铁公司称，该公司将采用直接还原铁和电弧炉，与传统高炉生产相比，可减少约 70% 的碳排放。

该工厂将向美国南部和墨西哥的全球汽车制造商生产设施供应汽车用钢，其中包括现代汽车和起亚汽车的生产设施。

现代汽车集团执行董事长郑义宣、浦项制铁集团董事长张仁和以及韩国驻美国大使姜京和出席了奠基仪式。

钟先生表示，路易斯安那州工厂生产的汽车用钢将帮助现代汽车和美国汽车制造商开发下一代移动出行解决方案。

郑先生表示：“这将有助于建设关键的工业基础设施，从人工智能数据中心到发电厂，并创造更安全的工作场所。我们将为美国和韩国的子孙后代创造新的机遇，并增强我们的能力。”

路易斯安那州经济发展部长苏珊·B·布尔乔亚表示，现代钢铁“已经展现了变革性投资对路易斯安那州的意义所在”。

这位官员补充说：“这个项目正在为路易斯安那州的公司创造就业机会，围绕高价值制造业建立一支劳动力队伍，并在生产开始之前就推动整个地区的新活动。”

该项目是现代汽车集团去年宣布的260亿美元美国投资计划的一部分。

现代钢铁公司于 2025 年 3 月表示，将投资 58 亿美元在北美建设其第一座钢铁厂，计划于 2029 年开始商业化生产。

浦项钢铁已持有该项目20%的股份。现代钢铁、现代汽车和起亚分别持有50%、15%和15%的股份。

2026年9月4日（当地时间），在路易斯安那州唐纳森维尔，现代钢铁-浦项钢铁路易斯安那电弧炉炼钢厂举行了奠基仪式。韩国产业通商资源部部长金正宽、现代汽车集团执行董事长郑义宣、浦项钢铁公司总裁李熙根、路易斯安那州州长杰夫·兰德里、美国商务部副部长威廉·金米特等约250名来自韩国和美国的政府及企业官员出席了仪式。（照片非卖品）（韩联社）

这张由现代钢铁公司提供的效果图展示了现代-浦项路易斯安那钢铁有限公司（HPLS），这是一家采用电弧炉技术的综合性钢铁厂，计划于2029年在路易斯安那州投产。（图片非卖品）（韩联社）

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr (完)

首尔吸引了来自4家美国芯片和能源领域的公司，投资额达2.8万亿韩元

工业部长将访问美国参加二十国集团峰会，以加强经济联系

（导语）受建筑业低迷影响，现代钢铁第二季度净利润暴跌67.6%

白宫称现代汽车的投资计划是特朗普推动“美国制造业主导地位”的举措之一。

（第六条）现代汽车正式宣布计划到2028年在美国投资210亿美元。

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（导语）韩国救援队继续搜寻尼泊尔洪灾中失踪的9人

（第二条）李显龙提名6位部长，进行内阁重大改组，其中包括财政部长

白宫表示美国对朝政策不变，重申特朗普对与金正恩对话持开放态度。

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（第三条）总统府表示，尚未就向霍尔木兹岛部署军队做出决定；审查仍在进行中。

（导语）判处尹某终身监禁的法官因腐败罪被起诉

（第二条）总统府表示，尚未就向霍尔木兹岛部署军队做出决定；审查仍在进行中。

专家称，特朗普可能不会介意承认朝鲜拥有核武器。

首尔，国有银行工会成员举行集会，抗议搬迁计划。

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（导语）工业部长敦促美国降低对难以采购的钢铁厂设备的关税。