? PA* N8CR2PT OF 114TERVIEW WITH THE PRIME~ MINISTR AT POSCO
STEEL CC"$ AKY, POHANG, KOREA, 23/ 6/ 93
J. Prime Minister, g1V~ fn rthO Amierican decision about
BJIP Steel, dIo you desp~ ilr about ever qettinq a fair
shake from the -AMcricctr,;. on our trade?
I'M I cjci't think so. I thiuk thiS is just part of the
normal trade shananiqbt:; which go on year in, year
out. I ? riCan, that's ror twr' Lo defend that matter,
which I Lhink they will do easil1y.
J. But iwt irzaLter how hlr.-d we rush with the Amiericans we
don't scorn to be getLinq anywhere on this wholo
question of reStricl-ions on our trade.
I'M: Well, I'm not here In Korea to be discussing trade
with the Americans. The f:-L is, that it is nevor
0asy finding access and kceping aceess for
ttonutlw11ies and one's .3fwitys joing to have to do the
hard work of making cerLain that one's products are
understood Lo be conierr~ ially available. And 1 don't
think SH1' partitul., iy for Lhese small
qxuant~ ities-will hav~ t any difficulty doing that.
J: 4Izidudibt) In no waV ieduces your commuitment to
the continuing int. errational. trend to lowerin~ g
t a riœ ffs?
PM: N4o, b'-, Cause if tho polii: y i5 let's play the market
acezo~ gamo, for a Ucid. kv lil: e Australia it would be
very damaeqing indeed. tioh e bs'-st policy for
Aust. ralia is always tLie opf-. r market policy.
J: H-ow tit. you coflLrast ali cot Lhat~ with the situation
here -the Lrading r-ltV3Lion here?
PM. Well, right now I'm at Pohanq SLeel, POS( 0, which is
Australia's single ). afge~ r cLtomer. It's the ' second
1& rgeost rrodlicer of * Lep1 iin the world.. We supply
fift. y percent of i1s raw mt. Pricd. s. Our trade to
this company alon'e is, o. nc billion~ dojiars. V
lt'r' our larqeat :' a~'& iiy-A-, ere in the wcyld. And
thdL's why T think IMPOrtbrit to visit these
P~ t~ eS-to, YOU knIOW, venew the friendship at the
official level given tbse fact that Atistralia was on
the uro.: und floor of Oic: dovelopment of thle Keirean
ind ustry. sno, is prt of the indrial
region jC FKorea and tj. t; is now the second largest
steel maker. And ouct' Lirne, ( if' course, there's the
prospet. uL of it bC cL'mul~ 0) c lairgest.
1: Thli is one of the r7Tu'Sl. Inodejrt steel industries in
Li'c wor3d. Hlas l-ih anythlrtg to learn from POSCO?
PM: Well, 5tiP aSSISted Wi~ h Lhe irl'tial feaSibility
; if,. udy lor POSCO. Mtid I think orne of the reasons why
Lhc Korean steel inrdu. L; try rcitains very attached to
7Autrali, a is the ti-: t thiaL LshF was on the ground
œ Iloor of their : rpaib: 3 UI. y stt'iies and we wrote the
first raw miaterials cuviirncts. WA were one of the
firt; L cotintriss tto Lauk ri* eA Vorean steel industry
seriously and I think that's Lhe reason why that
atta( 7hment remains. Liut, atguir, like all
rel. iLiunships, they 1*; Ied to be worked on. And I
tloughl. while r was ifcr~ givibn the fact that
they are our largent cu-, Lt.-. mer in. the world this
was a plIace Lo vit.
JR: ei~ i~ iz~ 01our o L. el~~ L comning on top of
Cninada': 3 move agalins; t ouir beef does it augur
well for our effort! s in ths-, Uruguay round?
PI1: Well, we're still procucjing re cord tonnagos of Iron
ore and tc . ual and , tPe) w~ hiat's the response? Turn
up our tocs and say it's~ , I too hard? Of course
it's~ hard. You've just q1ot to keep pressing on.
j n -rlt'I I--