A meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies kicked off on Thursday at the South Korean southern resort island of Jeju to address the current challenges to global trade.

The APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting will take place over two days through Friday at the International Convention Center in Seogwipo, southern Jeju.

The meeting will focus on three main themes: artificial intelligence (AI) innovation for trade facilitation; connectivity through multilateral trade systems; and prosperity through sustainable trade.

However, more attention is expected to be on the “sideline” tariff negotiations than the APEC meeting itself due to the presence of Jamieson Greer, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and a key figure in the Trump administration’s tariff policy, who chose the meeting in Jeju as his first overseas engagement.

“Several countries upgraded their delegates from vice ministers to ministers upon hearing that Greer would attend,” Korean Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo said at a press briefing held prior to the opening ceremony. “Many countries are expected to pursue bilateral meetings with him.”

Cheong held exclusive tariff negotiations with Greer on the sidelines of the MRT Meeting on Thursday. Along with Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun, the duo will resume their conversation on Friday to review progress on the so-called “July Package,” which was agreed upon during the “2+2” high-level talks between the two countries in Washington, D.C. in April 2025.

“The United States has yet to raise specific demands regarding issues such as the age limit on beef imports or the restriction on exporting Google map data,” a trade ministry official said. “Those demands could be formalized during the high-level talks.”

Korean shipbuilders are also scheduled to meet with Greer in Jeju on Friday, with HD Hyundai Co. Executive Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun and Hanwha Ocean Co. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kim Hee-cheul receiving individual meeting requests from Greer, according to sources.

The shipbuilding industry expects the agenda to include cooperation between Korea and the United States on warship construction, as well as maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, the sources said.

China’s trade representative Li Chenggang also held talks with Greer on Thursday. While the specific details of their discussions were not disclosed, trade experts believe that they likely reviewed the implementation status of the agreements reached during a previous surprise “big deal.”

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