KITA (Chairman: Jin-Sik Yoon) organised outreach activities in the U.S. from Monday, 14 April to Thursday, 17 April in Washington D.C. area. The delegation was headed by In-ho Lee, the Executive Vice Chairman of KITA and multiple officials from associations representing Korea's key industrial sectors, including semiconductors, battery, steel, automobile, shipbuilding and nuclear power, joined the delegation. The delegation focused on delivering the voices of respective industries to relevant figures in the U.S.
The delegation visited key U.S. think tanks, including the Heritage Foundation and CSIS, along with local law firms to learn how President Trump's trade policies are evaluated in the U.S. and discussed possible avenues of how Korean companies should respond. The delegation also met with former/current members of the House, including Rep. Don Beyer (D-Virginia) and former Rep. Ed Royce (R-California) and voiced concerns raised by Korean businesses. As a member of the Joint Economic Committee of the House of Representatives, Rep. Don Beyer recognised the contribution made by Korean companies in the U.S. in the form of foreign investment and confirmed his commitment on creating a business-friendly environment from the level of the House of Representatives.
The members of the delegation also met officials from the Department of Commerce to convey their voices. They stressed the importance of consistent and predictable trade policies to expand foreign investment from Korea and continue their contribution, which will, in turn, ensure better competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing sector.