Korea-US-Global Briefing--Monday, July 13, 2026
Headline: A July 24 tariff still looms as the 10 percent global Section 122 tariffs expire and USTR races to replace them with new Section 301 measures. Korea sits among 16 economies in the parallel excess-capacity probe.
Top Story
The Section 122 tariffs that set a 10 percent floor on most US imports expire July 24, and USTR wants replacement measures in place by then. Steel, aluminum, autos, and semiconductors ride on separate authority, so do Korea's 15 percent auto, but Korea remains one of 16 jurisdictions in the Section 301 excess-capacity probe.
Sector Watch
Semiconductors: SK Hynix began trading Nasdaq ADRs on July 10 and is committing 100 trillion won to domestic fabs, with the M17 plant targeted for first-half 2029. Samsung and SK Hynix are both scaling memory output for AI demand after an early-July chip selloff clipped both stocks.
Global: the memory duo still powers roughly two-thirds of the world's memory chips, keeping Korea central to the AI supply chain.
Hyundai Motor Group confirmed an 86.5 billion dollar (125.2 trillion won) domestic investment plan for 2026 to 2030, following the auto tariff cut to 15 percent, reinforcing home production and exports.
Burger Watch
Shake Shack's Korean-inspired K-Shack menu is running nationwide.
BCW Take
The July 24 tariff reset is noise for Korea's protected sectors but a live risk everywhere else; the smart move is to lock in the 15 percent certainty on autos and chips while watching the 301 excess-capacity track for the next pressure point.
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