Martial Arts Delegation Visits US Congress and Commerce Department to Discuss Battery and Other Issues

Appointing Jeong Manki, Vice Chairman of Muhyeop, as Head
Dispatch of Industry-Specific Business Delegations
Discussion on Expanding US Visas for Korean Technical Personnel

The 'Korea International Trade Association (KITA) Outreach Delegation to the U.S.,' composed of industry groups from sectors such as batteries, automobiles, steel, and aerospace, visited the U.S. Congress and the Department of Commerce on the 17th (local time) to discuss current issues, KITA announced on the 19th.

Jung Manki, Vice Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, and Congressman Jerry Carl are shaking hands after a meeting. Photo by Korea International Trade Association

The delegation met sequentially with Republican Representatives Michelle Steel and Jerry Carl at the U.S. House of Representatives office building. At this meeting, KITA Vice Chairman Jeong Manki stated, "The main difficulty our companies in batteries, electric vehicles, and semiconductors are currently facing is the challenge of securing engineers in the U.S. to operate factories," adding, "We earnestly request active support for the passage of the 'Partner with Korea Act,' currently pending in the U.S. Congress, which would allow these companies to temporarily bring specialized personnel from Korea to the U.S. to work in factories for about two years."

The Partner with Korea Act primarily proposes the establishment of a new E-4 (Temporary Technical Worker Visas) visa category for 15,000 Korean professionals annually. Although this bill has been introduced in every federal congressional session since 2013, it has not passed. It was reintroduced in April last year and is currently pending in both the House and Senate.

Vice Chairman Jeong also conveyed, "Our companies are closely watching the possibility that former President Trump of the Republican Party might be elected in the year-end presidential election and potentially repeal the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) he mentioned," and requested, "Considering the contributions of Korean companies to the U.S. economy, we hope the Republican Party will actively work to ensure that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is not repealed."

U.S. lawmakers expressed agreement with Vice Chairman Jeong's requests and responded, "We will actively work toward the passage of the Partner with Korea Act and related matters."

On the same day, the delegation also visited the U.S. Department of Commerce and held meetings with senior officials, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing Heather Evans. Vice Chairman Jeong again requested the establishment of the E-4 visa for introducing Korean professionals and support to prevent the repeal of the IIJA if former President Trump is elected.

Park Taeseong, Vice Chairman of the Korea Battery Industry Association, said, "Korean battery companies are making various efforts such as shifting to key mineral import countries and expanding investments to build production plants in the U.S. to diversify core materials," adding, "Since it will take time to change the graphite import source necessary for U.S. electric vehicle production from China, we hope the U.S. will operate the Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) regulations flexibly."

Byun Youngman, Vice Chairman of the Korea Iron & Steel Association, requested, "We hope the U.S. will regularly share information with Korea and provide opportunities for Korea to participate in discussions during the ongoing negotiations on the Global Steel and Aluminum Agreement (GSSA) between the U.S. and the EU." Seo Jeongran, Executive Director of the Korea Automobile Mobility Industry Association, said, "Considering that Korean automobile companies contribute to revitalizing the U.S. economy and achieving carbon neutrality through investments in the U.S., as well as contributing to local community development, we hope the Department of Commerce will support positive consideration of these companies' tax credit applications."

Deputy Assistant Secretary Evans responded, "The Department of Commerce will actively seek direct solutions to issues within its scope, and for matters requiring cooperation from other departments such as the Department of Energy, we will coordinate with them to resolve difficulties."

KITA dispatched the delegation, led by Vice Chairman Jeong Manki, to Washington, D.C., for a five-day schedule starting on the 15th. The delegation included economic representatives such as Park Taeseong, Vice Chairman of the Korea Battery Industry Association; Byun Youngman, Vice Chairman of the Korea Iron & Steel Association; Kim Minseok, Vice Chairman of the Korea Aerospace Industries Association; and Seo Jeongran, Executive Director of the Korea Automobile Mobility Industry Association.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.