South Korea and the United States held talks in Washington to discuss ways to expand maritime cooperation between the two close trading partners, the government said Tuesday.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said the working level talks touched on the need to expand information on maritime policies, allowing U.S. car carriers greater access to South Korean cargo, and guidelines issued by U.S. port state control (PSC) authorities.
The PSC is tasked with checking foreign ships to make certain they comply with internationally accepted safety and environmental rules.
It also said that the U.S. Maritime Administration provided information on measures being taken to expand the Panama Canal and its impact on traffic, while Seoul raised the issue of delays and other inconveniences being felt by South Korean ships entering U.S. ports.
“The United States is South Korea’s second-largest trading partner and a leader in setting rules and standards on maritime policies,” said Park Gyeong-cheol, head of the ministry’s maritime logistics bureau. “Close ties and better flow of information are beneficial to South Korean vessels, and for trade.”
The meeting is the second of its kind, following the first gathering held in September 2014.
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