By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) — The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea implored the European Union on Tuesday to cautiously examine its ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other non-tariff barriers that may impede free trade.
Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun met with Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis of the European Commission in Seoul to discuss unresolved bilateral trade issues, including the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
The request was made after the EU declared its intention to prohibit the use of the chemicals, which are widely used in industries due to their non-reactivity with water, oil, chemicals and heat, citing environmental and health concerns.
“We have asked the EU to thoroughly consider the possibility of a full ban hindering the transition to carbon neutrality and a circular economy, and prudently review the policy,” the ministry said in a statement.
During the meeting, South Korea requested that the EU create a fair competitive environment, noting that the CBAM may obstruct overseas companies’ access to the European market.
The EU recently declared its new carbon pricing system, which calls for levying an import charge on steel, cement, electricity, fertilizer, aluminum and other related items equivalent to their carbon emissions during production.
Seoul expressed its hope that the EU safeguard measures on steel, which have been in place since 2019, will end without an extension after June 2024 as well, as it weighs the burden on South Korean exporters.
South Korea also raised concerns about France’s new electric vehicle subsidy rule, emphasizing the need to review the rule to determine if it is in line with the trade regulations of both the EU and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
colin@yna.co.kr
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