KCCI Meets with Georgia State Representative Matt Reeves... Joins Hands with Korean American Chamber of Commerce

Request for “Stable Business Environment” Made to Representative Reeves
Joint Response to Trump’s Second-Term Policies with Korean-American Chamber of Commerce in the US

Ahead of the launch of Donald Trump's second-term administration, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) conducted trade diplomacy activities in Georgia and Las Vegas, USA. Taking advantage of the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition CES 2025, they met with key American politicians and Korean-American chambers of commerce to explore countermeasures for the trade policies of the Trump second-term government.

Park Il-jun, Executive Vice Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (left), and Matt Reeves, Member of the Georgia House of Representatives, USA, are posing for a commemorative photo. Photo by Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry

On the 9th (local time), KCCI visited the state of Georgia and met with State Representative Matt Reeves to discuss trade issues, the organization announced on the 12th. Attendees included Park Il-jun, KCCI Executive Vice Chairman, Yang Jae-saeng, Chairman of the Busan Chamber of Commerce, and Kim Jin-dong, Chairman of the Sejong Chamber of Commerce.

Georgia is a logistics hub in the southeastern United States and is the largest investment destination for Korean companies in the US, with about 150 domestic companies operating there and creating over 10,000 jobs. The reasons Georgia has emerged as the top investment destination for Korean companies include not only logistical advantages but also a low corporate tax rate (5.75%) and a fast business licensing environment. As of 2023, Korean companies have invested $10 billion (approximately 15 trillion KRW). The total investment over 10 years amounts to $23.6 billion (approximately 35 trillion KRW). Future investment plans in Georgia are expected to exceed $10 billion (approximately 15 trillion KRW).

Vice Chairman Park told Representative Reeves, "Korean companies are feeling uneasy due to the anticipated imposition of universal tariffs and the possible abolition of subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) with the launch of the Trump second-term government." He added, "We understand the Trump administration's policy goals to address trade imbalances, and Korean companies will also strive to stabilize the trade balance between the two countries by expanding local production and switching imports from third countries to the US." He continued, "Although the domestic situation is difficult recently, the Korean economy is functioning normally," and requested, "Please work to create a stable business environment so that Korean companies can continue their investments in the US without disruption."

Representative Reeves of Georgia said, "Korea is a key economic cooperation partner for Georgia and has greatly contributed to the development of major industries such as automobiles and batteries in Georgia." He added, "We will actively support Korean companies to respond flexibly to new policy changes." After the meeting, Vice Chairman Park was awarded honorary citizenship of Georgia.

During CES 2025 on the 8th (local time), KCCI also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federation of Korean-American Chambers of Commerce in Las Vegas. The two organizations agreed to cooperate on supporting Korean companies entering the US market and Korean-American businesses within the US, jointly responding to policy changes under the Trump second-term administration, supporting the establishment of networks among companies, economic organizations, and governments of both countries, ensuring the successful hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2025 in October, and the World Korean Business Convention (Atlanta) scheduled for April next year.

Lee Sung-woo, Director of International Trade at KCCI, said, "We expect this agreement to serve as a foundation for jointly responding to changes in the trade environment under the Trump second-term administration." He added, "Through continuous outreach efforts, we will support Korean companies to quickly adapt to the changing trade environment following the launch of the Trump second-term government."

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