# South Korea will seek favourable terms for U.S. tariffs on imports of memory chips.

*semiconductor · news · 2026-01-18 · Reuters*

## Key points

- South Korea will negotiate for favorable terms regarding new U.S. tariffs on memory chips.
- A joint U.S.-South Korea fact sheet ensures South Korea avoids worse tariff treatment than competitors.
- South Korea's trade minister stated new U.S. tariffs on advanced computing chips should have limited domestic impact.
- U.S. tariffs recently expanded to cover artificial intelligence chips, prompting South Korean concerns.

SEOUL, Jan 18 (Reuters) - South Korea will seek favourable terms for U.S. tariffs on imports of memory chips, a presidential office spokesperson said at a televised briefing on Sunday. The country last year released a joint fact sheet on its trade deal with the U.S. that included terms ensuring South Korea will not receive unfavourable treatment from U.S. tariffs on imported chips compared to key competitors, the official said, when asked about the Trump administration's proclamation imposing tariffs on artificial intelligence chips. Sign up here. On Saturday, South Korea's trade minister said U.S. tariffs on some advanced computing chips would have a limited impact on South Korean companies. Reporting by Heejin Kim; Editing by Jamie Freed

**Countries:** South Korea, United States

[Read the full story on Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korea-negotiate-with-us-favourable-chip-tariff-terms-official-says-2026-01-18/)

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