Washington: Korea’s Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo pledged to do “all we can” to reach a trade deal with US President Donald Trump’s administration as he arrived in Washington with the Aug. 1 deadline for tariff negotiations approaching.

According to Qatar News Agency, Yeo made the remarks, underscoring Seoul’s priority to maximize national interests in the negotiations, as he and new Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol are slated to attend the “2+2” trade talks with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Friday.

“At this point, we plan to engage in negotiations from across the board,” he told Yonhap News Agency upon arrival at Dulles International Airport near Washington.

South Korea has been striving to avoid or minimize the impact of the Trump administration’s proposed 25% “reciprocal” tariffs and other sector-specific tariffs, which are expected to weigh heavily on its export-reliant economy. The reciprocal tariffs are set to kick in Aug. 1 unless a deal is reached.