According to South Korean media reports on July 30, the South Korean government is considering encouraging domestic companies to participate in U.S.-led efforts to restructure global supply chains away from China. Korea Zinc has reportedly become a key factor in the ongoing tariff talks. A government official revealed that working-level discussions are underway between the U.S. and South Korea regarding Korea Zinc’s proposed investment to build a non-ferrous metal smelter in the United States. This investment may be included in the final negotiation package. In June, Korea Zinc invested $85 million to acquire a 5% stake in Canadian deep-sea mining firm The Metals Company (TMC), aiming to extract manganese nodules from the eastern Pacific Ocean and process them in the U.S.—securing domestic supply of critical minerals. The move aligns with an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump in April, which encourages American companies to secure offshore critical mineral resources and reduce reliance on China.
Supply chain cooperation has become central to recent U.S. trade agreements with the EU and Japan. For example, Japan pledged a $550 billion investment fund to support joint development in advanced manufacturing and strategic minerals. Analyst at the Korea International Trade Association noted that U.S. demands now go beyond tariff reduction, emphasizing economic security and resilient supply chains.