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The Busan Metropolitan City Holds On-Site Meeting with Local Footwear Companies on U.S. Tariff Policy

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On the afternoon of April 17, the Busan Metropolitan City announced that it had held an on-site meeting with local footwear companies at the conference room of the Advanced Footwear Convergence Hub Center to address export challenges arising from U.S. tariff policies, including those imposed during the Trump administration.

The meeting, presided over by the Director General of the Advanced Industry Bureau, was attended by key figures such as the President of the Korea Footwear Association and executives from leading companies including Changshin INC, Hwaseung Industries, Parkland, and Haksan Co., Ltd., totaling 10 participants.

These companies have established production facilities in countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia to reduce labor costs and are primarily Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) that have signed contracts with global corporations.

Meeting Details

• ●Date/Time: Thursday, April 17, 2025, at 14:00

• ●Venue: 2nd Floor Conference Room, Advanced Footwear Convergence Hub Center

• ●Participants:

• ○Busan City: Director General of the Advanced Industry Bureau, Directors of Industrial Policy Division and Economic Policy Division, Team Leader of Economic Support, and Team Leader of Enterprise On-Site Support

• ○Companies: Changshin INC, Hwaseung Industries, Parkland, Haksan Co., Ltd., Korea Footwear Association

• ○Related Institutions: Head of the Footwear and Fashion Promotion Division, Busan Technopark

• ●Main Agenda: Listening to and discussing business difficulties and suggestions

The meeting was organized to hear directly from companies amid growing uncertainty in the trade environment caused by reciprocal tariffs implemented by the U.S. government.

Participating companies discussed in depth the tariff burdens faced during exports to North America and the anticipated long-term operational difficulties when exporting to other regions such as Europe. They also addressed the potential economic impact of these issues on Busan.

Additionally, the City introduced several support programs designed to alleviate the burden on businesses, including policy financing and the operation of a One-Stop Business Support Center.

Park Dong-seok, Director General of the Advanced Industry Bureau, stated,

“To ensure the stable operation of Busan’s key footwear industry, we will thoroughly review the suggestions made at this meeting and convey them to the appropriate government agencies.”