Korea begins US investment but trade pressure persists

Korea has started its $350 billion U.S. investment plan with a first $2.4 billion injection in Texas, but trade pressure from Washington remains intense. The funding is tied to a gas-fired power plant project meant to support AI data centers. U.S. President Donald Trump is pressing Seoul to join the Alaska LNG project and has threatened higher tariffs, while a USTR Section 301 probe could add more pressure.

The first $2.4 billion capital injection is the opening phase of Korea’s $350 billion investment package in the United States.

The initial fund is designated for a gas-fired combined-cycle power plant in Encinal, Texas, which is intended to supply electricity to AI data centers.

The Trump administration is reviewing industrial overcapacity and structural overproduction across 16 major economies, including Korea, and USTR Jamieson Greer said the findings are expected within weeks.

Korean officials fear that any new tariffs from the separate Section 301 probe could push the overall tariff above the 15 percent rate agreed between Seoul and Washington.

Published Oct 5, 2026 4:27 pm KST

Updated Oct 5, 2026 4:32 pm KST

Korea on track with initial $2.4 bil. injection

Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan looks pensive as he waits for a meeting of the National Assembly’s Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee to begin in Seoul, Sept. 22. Yonhap

Korea has begun implementing its $350 billion investment commitment in the United States, but U.S. pressure for additional investments and an ongoing review of unfair foreign trade practices are keeping Seoul on edge over the possibility of additional tariffs.

Korea recently made its first $2.4 billion capital injection into the U.S., marking the first phase of the $350 billion investment package finalized by the two countries last year.

The initial fund is earmarked for a gas-fired combined-cycle power plant project in Encinal, Texas, designed to supply electricity to AI data centers. The investment is intended to demonstrate Korea’s commitment to the economic partnership and help secure the agreed 15 percent tariff ceiling for its key exports.

However, the commencement of actual funding has failed to ease U.S. trade pressure. U.S. President Donald Trump has significantly ramped up his rhetoric, publicly pressuring Seoul to join a $54 billion Alaska LNG pipeline and terminal project.

Trump has repeatedly portrayed Korea’s participation as a done deal in domestic political rallies, using the issue as a talking point ahead of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. He has also threatened to double tariffs if Seoul does not agree to participate in the Alaska energy project, further increasing pressure on the Korean government.

Adding to the pressure is an impending decision by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The Trump administration is conducting a Section 301 investigation into industrial overcapacity and structural overproduction across 16 major economies, including Korea. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the findings are expected to be made public within weeks, raising concerns that the probe could lead to additional trade measures.

The outcome of the Section 301 overcapacity probe could affect Korea's major export sectors, including semiconductors, electric vehicle batteries, automobiles and steel. The U.S. has already imposed Section 301 tariffs of 12.5 percent on Korea over concerns about forced labor imports, although automobiles, semiconductors and steel covered by existing Section 232 measures are exempt from the new duties.

Korean officials have raised concerns that any additional tariffs resulting from the separate overcapacity probe could push the overall tariff above the 15 percent rate agreed between Seoul and Washington.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer prepares to testify at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 22. Reuters-Yonhap

The concerns come as Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources faces a parliamentary audit on Tuesday, with further scrutiny of the U.S. investment plans later this month. Lawmakers are expected to press government officials over the commercial viability, profitability and financial risks of the projects.

Opposition lawmakers argue that the Lee Jae Myung administration is rushing to commit capital to U.S. infrastructure projects under pressure from Washington, without sufficient safeguards to ensure financial returns or protect Korean investors from cost overruns and other unexpected risks.

Suh Jeong-in, an emeritus professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul, said Korean investments in the U.S. are taking place in a particularly complicated environment involving not only bilateral trade but also industries and issues related to national security and diplomacy.

“The investments are also taking place amid U.S. competition with China over market-driving technologies such as semiconductors, which could generate a windfall for Korean industries. We should also understand that Trump likes to engage in disputes with countries over trade. He is also concerned about the outcome of the upcoming Nov. 3 midterm elections,” he said.

“Understanding this multi-pronged international trade context, Korea will have to be careful and refrain from taking any action that could trigger an emotional backlash at home. The government will have to continue sending coordinated messages across ministries, such as that Korea will continue discussions with the U.S. to find mutually beneficial solutions.”

An oil pipeline runs alongside the Dalton Highway in northern Alaska. gettyimagesbank

Following Korea’s initial $2.4 billion investment, Kwak Sung-il, executive director of the Center for Emerging Economy Studies at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) in Sejong, said, “The ball is now in the U.S. court.”

“Korea has shown its commitment to the Seoul-Washington pledge by making the initial investment. Now, if the U.S. keeps adding pressure on Korea by shifting the goalposts, Korean firms will start to lose trust in the U.S. That will naturally make them more hesitant to make investments in the U.S.,” Kwak said.

Kwak said the National Assembly, during its scheduled parliamentary audit, should move beyond partisan bickering and forge a unified front to empower Korea’s trade negotiators, sending a clear message that defending the 15 percent tariff ceiling is a nonnegotiable red line.

“To achieve this, the National Assembly needs to create a strong sense of domestic pressure. By rigorously questioning trade officials and demanding that major projects such as the Alaska LNG initiative demonstrate clear economic viability, it can give Korea’s negotiating team a powerful bargaining tool,” Kwak said.

“The negotiators can then use this strong domestic resistance as a credible counterargument in talks with Washington, showing that without clear commercial viability, any additional investment demands could face strong public opposition and parliamentary resistance.”

Kim Hyok-jung, an associate research fellow at the North America and Europe Team of the Center for Area Studies, also highlighted the importance of protecting the 15 percent tariff ceiling.

“Korea has begun its U.S. investments as promised. Now, we need to make sure that the terms agreed upon by Korea and the U.S. are upheld,” Kim said. “From now on, what we need is to create new export channels for Korean materials, parts and equipment companies through these investment projects. This could help offset the impact of tariffs on the Korean economy.”

Korea protests US' unilateral announcement on Alaska LNG project

Trump-backed Alaska LNG revival still faces viability questions in Korea

[ED] Let Korea decide Alaska LNG investment

韩国已启动其3500亿美元的美国投资计划，首笔24亿美元投资落户德克萨斯州，但来自华盛顿的贸易压力依然巨大。这笔资金将用于一个旨在为人工智能数据中心提供支持的燃气发电厂项目。美国总统特朗普正敦促首尔加入阿拉斯加液化天然气项目，并威胁要提高关税，而美国贸易代表办公室（USTR）启动的301条款调查可能会进一步加大压力。

首笔 24 亿美元的注资是韩国对美 3500 亿美元投资计划的开端。

首笔资金将用于在德克萨斯州恩西纳尔建设一座燃气联合循环发电厂，该发电厂旨在为人工智能数据中心供电。

特朗普政府正在审查包括韩国在内的16个主要经济体的工业产能过剩和结构性生产过剩问题，美国贸易代表杰米森·格里尔表示，调查结果预计将在几周内公布。

韩国官员担心，单独进行的 301 条款调查可能征收的任何新关税都可能使整体关税超过首尔和华盛顿之间商定的 15% 的税率。

发布于2026年10月5日下午4:27（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月5日下午4:32（韩国标准时间）

韩国按计划完成首轮24亿美元的注资

9月22日，韩国贸易部长官金正宽在首尔等待国会贸易、产业、能源、中小企业和创业委员会会议召开时，神情若有所思。（韩联社）

韩国已开始履行其对美3500亿美元的投资承诺，但美国施压要求追加投资，并持续审查韩国不公平的对外贸易行为，这令首尔对可能加征关税感到不安。

韩国最近首次向美国注资 24 亿美元，标志着两国去年最终敲定的 3500 亿美元投资计划的第一阶段完成。

首笔资金将用于位于德克萨斯州恩西纳尔的一座燃气联合循环发电厂项目，该项目旨在为人工智能数据中心供电。这项投资旨在展现韩国对经济伙伴关系的承诺，并有助于确保其主要出口产品享受15%的关税上限。

然而，实际资金的到位并未缓解美国的贸易压力。美国总统唐纳德·特朗普大幅加强了言辞攻势，公开向首尔施压，要求其加入价值540亿美元的阿拉斯加液化天然气管道和终端项目。

特朗普在国内政治集会上反复强调韩国参与阿拉斯加能源项目已成定局，并以此作为即将到来的美国中期选举的宣传噱头。他还威胁称，如果首尔不同意参与阿拉斯加能源项目，美国将加征双倍关税，进一步加大对韩国政府的压力。

雪上加霜的是，美国贸易代表办公室（USTR）即将做出决定。特朗普政府正在对包括韩国在内的16个主要经济体的工业产能过剩和结构性生产过剩问题进行301条款调查。美国贸易代表杰米森·格里尔表示，调查结果预计将在几周内公布，这引发了人们对该调查可能导致更多贸易措施的担忧。

美国对韩国301条款产能过剩问题的调查结果可能影响韩国的主要出口行业，包括半导体、电动汽车电池、汽车和钢铁。美国已因韩国存在强迫劳动进口问题，对韩国产品加征12.5%的301条款关税，但受现有232条款约束的汽车、半导体和钢铁产品则免征新关税。

韩国官员担心，单独进行的产能过剩调查所导致的任何额外关税都可能使整体关税超过首尔和华盛顿之间商定的 15% 的税率。

7月22日，美国贸易代表杰米森·格里尔准备在华盛顿国会山出席参议院财政委员会的听证会。（路透社-韩联社）

韩国产业通商资源部将于周二接受国会审计，本月晚些时候还将对美国投资计划进行进一步审查。在此背景下，人们开始担忧这些问题。预计议员们将就这些项目的商业可行性、盈利能力和财务风险向政府官员施压。

反对派议员认为，李在明政府在华盛顿的压力下，急于向美国基础设施项目投入资金，但没有足够的保障措施来确保财务回报，或保护韩国投资者免受成本超支和其他意外风险的影响。

首尔韩国国立外交学院名誉教授徐正仁表示，韩国在美国的投资环境非常复杂，不仅涉及双边贸易，还涉及与国家安全和外交相关的产业和问题。

“这些投资正值美国与中国在半导体等市场驱动型技术领域展开竞争之际，这可能为韩国产业带来意外之财。我们也应该明白，特朗普喜欢与各国就贸易问题发生争端。他还非常关注即将到来的11月3日中期选举的结果，”他说道。

“鉴于当前复杂的国际贸易形势，韩国必须谨慎行事，避免采取任何可能在国内引发强烈反弹的行动。政府必须继续在各部门之间发出协调一致的信息，例如表明韩国将继续与美国进行磋商，以寻求互利共赢的解决方案。”

一条输油管道沿着阿拉斯加北部的道尔顿公路延伸。（图片来源：gettyimagesbank）

在韩国最初投资 24 亿美元之后，韩国国际经济政策研究院（KIEP）新兴经济研究中心执行主任郭成日表示：“现在球在美国这边了。”

“韩国已经通过最初的投资展现了对首尔-华盛顿承诺的履行。现在，如果美国不断改变规则，持续向韩国施压，韩国企业就会开始对美国失去信任。这自然会使它们更加犹豫是否要在美国投资，”郭先生说。

郭表示，国会在例行的议会审计期间，应该超越党派之争，建立统一战线，赋予韩国贸易谈判代表更大的权力，发出明确的信号：捍卫15%的关税上限是不可谈判的红线。

郭先生表示：“为了实现这一目标，国会需要营造强大的国内压力。通过严格质询贸易官员，并要求阿拉斯加液化天然气项目等重大项目证明其具有明确的经济可行性，国会可以为韩国谈判团队提供强有力的谈判筹码。”

“谈判代表可以利用这种强烈的国内阻力，在与华盛顿的谈判中提出可信的反驳论点，表明如果没有明确的商业可行性，任何额外的投资要求都可能面临强烈的公众反对和议会阻力。”

区域研究中心北美和欧洲团队的副研究员金赫俊也强调了保护 15% 关税上限的重要性。

金正恩表示：“韩国已按承诺启动了对美投资。现在，我们需要确保韩美双方达成的协议条款得到遵守。从现在开始，我们需要通过这些投资项目，为韩国材料、零部件和设备企业开辟新的出口渠道。这有助于抵消关税对韩国经济的影响。”

韩国抗议美国单方面宣布阿拉斯加液化天然气项目

特朗普支持的阿拉斯加液化天然气项目重启计划在韩国仍面临可行性质疑。

[ED] 让韩国决定阿拉斯加液化天然气投资