Posted on August 25, 2025
SEOUL—In July, as the U.S. and South Korea entered a decisive phase of trade talks between the two countries, South Korean negotiators brought a sealed box for their American counterparts.
Inside the box—which had been rushed from South Korea to Washington on a Korean Air flight—sat 10 red baseball caps bearing the slogan “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again,” or MASGA. U.S. and Korean flags adorned the hats.
Along with the hats came a pledge: Seoul promised to spend $150 billion to help the U.S. revive its ship manufacturing, which has fallen badly behind China and has become a central concern for the Trump administration.
“Great idea,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told the South Korean negotiators. The two sides soon sealed a trade agreement that, along with investment pledges for ships and other sectors, cut the country’s reciprocal tariff rate and levies on cars. Seoul agreed to buy $100 billion in U.S. energy, too.
