On Sunday in Maryland, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters "South Korea wants to make a deal right now," without elaborating what would cement a deal or speculate on a time frame for getting negotiations done. Top South Korean officials held meetings in Washington after Trump's announcement, including to negotiate cuts or exemptions from import duties on steel and autos. A senior South Korean trade official said earlier this month Washington had shown a willingness to consider exemptions on sectoral tariffs, as it had when agreeing a deal with Britain, if South Korea proposed a clear offer to reduce trade deficits. South Korea earned a record $55.6 billion trade surplus with the U.S. in 2024, up 25% from 2023, led by rising car exports, according to Korea Customs Service data. South Korea's effective tariff rates stand at near-zero under a free trade agreement first signed in 2007 then revised in 2018 under Trump's first term, according to economists.