Korea's industry minister urged the United States on Saturday to ease tariffs on equipment that Korean companies will need to import for a $5.8 billion steel mill in Louisiana they are investing in. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan made the request at a meeting with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry before attending a groundbreaking ceremony for Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel LLC (HPLS), an electric arc furnace-based integrated steel mill scheduled to begin construction in the fourth quarter, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said in a press release. HPLS is a joint venture among Hyundai Motor Group affiliates Hyundai Steel Co., Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., and steelmaker POSCO. Foreign steelmakers in the U.S. face tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows the U.S. president to adjust imports deemed to threaten national security, as well as other trade remedy measures, the ministry said. Kim urged Washington to pay close attention to difficulties facing Korean companies investing in the U.S. and support the project by easing tariffs on equipment an