South Korea’s export-dependent economy is facing a “grave situation” as the U.S.-China trade war and the spread of trade protectionism heap pressure on the global economy, President Moon Jae-in said in a parliament speech Tuesday.
Moon’s speech comes after the latest South Korean export data point to another dismal month for global trade. An escalation of tariffs from the trade war and ensuing uncertainty have hurt exports, investment and consumption in South Korea, shaving 0.4 percentage point off its economicgrowth this year, according to central bank estimates.
In Tuesday’s speech, Moon urged parliament to approve the 2020 budget proposal, which would raise spending by 9.3% from this year’s plan. South Korea’s annual budgets typically have faced political wrangling in parliament, and tend to be approved close to the deadline after some amendments.